Danny Murphy slams Liverpool man for defensive performance - "You would not expect players to do in the lower leagues"

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has lashed out at Reds right-back Trent Alexandre-Arnold for his poor defensive performance during the 5-2 loss to Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday (February 21) night. The 24-year-old struggled to impress with his input at the back and has been a subject of criticism since then.

Alexandre-Arnold was given the nod by Jurgen Klopp to start on the right side of Liverpool's defence as they welcomed Real Madrid to Anfield. However, containing an explosive Vinicius Junior and a rampant Karim Benzema proved to be a herculean task for the right-back. That contributed to Jurgen Klopp's men's collapsing in front of their own fans.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Murphy highlighted how the 24-year-old failed to cut it at the back against the reigning European champions while noting a few things the defender did right in offence:

“Defensively poor, could not cope, and (he just) doesn’t see the danger," Murphy said on talkSPORT.

He continued:

“The bizarre thing is watching him live, Trend did some things last night; his passing and crossing, that not many right-backs in the world can do from an attacking point of view. But then he is doing some things defensively that you would not expect players to do in the lower leagues. It’s like it has got worse for him rather than better."

Murphy concluded:

“When he was in the team in the first two or three seasons, I think most people forgave the poor defending because he was young lad learning. But he is got to learn now."

It;s worth noting that Liverpool started the game on the front foot, scoring two quickfire goals within the first 14 minutes. However, they couldn't maintain their impetus, allowing Real Madrid to make easy work of them.

The Spanish giants scored five goals, with both Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior bagging braces, while Rodrygo Goes also put his name on the scoresheet. Following that result, Carlo Ancelotti's men are now in pole position to advance to the last eight.

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What's next for Real Madrid and Liverpool?

Liverpool defender - Trent Alexandre-Arnold.

Following their thrilling clash at Anfield on Tuesday, Real Madrid and Liverpool will switch their focus to their respective domestic league ahead of the weekend. The Reds travel to Crystal Palace for a Premier League faceoff on Saturday (February 25,) while the Spanish giants will square up against Atletico Madrid in La Liga on the same day.

The two sides will face each other once again in the return leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie at the Santiago Bernabeu on March 15. It remains to be seen if the Reds overhaul a three-goal deficit away from home.