Alan Shearer admires how Stefan Bajcetic ‘never gave up’ as Liverpool lost to Real Madrid on Tuesday. But he has called the Champions League tie a ‘lesson’ for the teen midfielder.
Los Blancos stunned the Reds to seal a 5-2 win at Anfield in the Round of 16 first-leg clash. Darwin Nunez (4’) and Mohamed Salah (14’) had given Jurgen Klopp’s squad an early lead in the UEFA affair. But Carlo Ancelotti’s Galacticos ran riot with an astonishing comeback.
Thibaut Courtois contributed to his La Liga giants falling two goals behind to their Premier League hosts. Salah took advantage of the Belgian’s poor clearance. But Alisson Becker let Real Madrid off the hook with his clearance looping in off Vinicius Jr (21’, 36’) to equalise.
Eder Militao (47’) then headed home Luka Modric’s free-kick to take the lead early into the second half. While Karim Benzema (55’, 67’) stretched Los Blancos’ advantage as his effort deflected in off Joe Gomez. Modric then pulled the strings again to set up the Frenchman.
Shearer feels the presence of 37-year-old Modric beside Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga in the Real Madrid engine room was always likely to give Liverpool ace Bajcetic issues. The last 16 tie was also the 18-year-old’s first start in a Champions League fixture.
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Alan Shearer dubs the Real Madrid tie a ‘lesson’ for Liverpool star Stefan Bajcetic
Bajcetic has now featured in 15 first-team fixtures after facing Real Madrid during his first season as a senior Liverpool player. Klopp afforded the former Celta Vigo prospect his bow in August. He has since handed the teenager 745 minutes of action across all competitions.
Three of Bajcetic’s prior 14 games came as a substitute during Group A against Ajax (twice) and Napoli. He also started promisingly on the ball against Los Blancos and made a number of solid tackles. But his lack of experience became clearer as Modric and co gained control.
Shearer admires Bajcetic’s efforts to keep Liverpool in the Champions League tie with Real Madrid. But he also feels the tie became a lesson for the Spain youth international in how the best midfielders in the world rise to the occasion and tackle the elite UEFA encounters.
“It was a lesson for Stefan Bajcetic in how [it] could and should be done,” Shearer said on BBC Radio 5 Live. “But he tried hard, worked hard and never gave up. However, he is in there with some of the best in there tonight. It was always going to be difficult for him.”
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