Trent Alexander-Arnold edges closer to Liverpool return after Champions League drama
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The former Liverpool hero reached the Champions League last-16 with Real Madrid on Wednesday eveningLiverpool's path to the latter stages of the Champions League and a potential reunion with former Anfield favourite Trent Alexander-Arnold is beginning to materialise. The Reds had already secured safe passage through to the last-16 in Europe after finishing third in the league phase.They will face either Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray in the next round, with confirmation of their route to the final due to be announced following the draw on Friday.Alexander-Arnold's Real Madrid sealed their spot in the Champions League last-16 after defeating Jose Mourinho's Benfica 3-1 on aggregate on Wednesday evening, with Alexander-Arnold completing the full 90 minutes.Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source.
Regardless of who Liverpool face, Alexander-Arnold could be set to line up against his former club once more this season, provided both sides battle through to at least the semi-finals.READ MORE: Jamie Carragher offers up telling response after Liverpool atmosphere brutally slammedREAD MORE: Trent Alexander-Arnold slammed by Spanish media as Real Madrid reality sets inLiverpool and Madrid have already crossed paths in this season's Champions League, with the Reds claiming a 1-0 victory at Anfield during the league phase. Shortly after Liverpool had taken a 1-0 lead, the crowd was in full voice and they further made themselves heard when Alexander-Arnold came off the bench with 10 minutes left on the clock.The England defender has been sharing the right-back position with Madrid stalwart Dani Carvajal and missed a significant portion of the La Liga season through injury.
Supporters then made a point of chanting about club legend Steven Gerrard and Alexander-Arnold's successor at right-back, Conor Bradley, in a pointed dig at their former idol.Upon departing Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold revealed that he sympathised with those supporters who struggled to understand his reasoning for leaving his boyhood club."I completely understand the feelings that go with that [leaving Liverpool] and I've felt it myself so I completely understand that the news will disappoint a lot of people, will anger people, it will make them upset," he said after making his decision to join Madrid."Obviously that went into the decision as well – it's something you don't want to do, you don't want to ever have these moments where you feel like you're letting a lot of people down, you're disappointing a lot of people. Latest Reds news and more on our dedicated Facebook pageThe 15-time Champions League winners and six-time champions have clashed in two European Cup finals since 2018, with Madrid triumphing on both occasions.It's highly probable that Liverpool will want to sidestep Madrid at any stage in this year's knock-out rounds given their recent history.