Jude Bellingham absolved Kylian Mbappe of responsibility despite the struggling Real Madrid star missing a crucial penalty against Liverpool. Mbappe's poor spot-kick was saved by Caoimhin Kelleher with Los Blancos trailing 1-0 at Anfield.
Liverpool went on to seal a memorable 2-0 Champions League success to continue their remarkable start to life under Arne Slot. Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo scored against stuttering Real, who have been blighted by a number of injuries.
Carlo Ancelotti still had Bellingham and Mbappe, though. Both players failed to make a major impact on the game. Real managed only three shots on target and the first was the Frenchman's 61st-minute penalty.
But Bellingham insisted his colleague was not to blame despite missing the opportunity to draw Real level. The England star told TNT Sports: “Obviously it’s a big moment in the game but it can happen.
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“He’s a wonderful player but the pressure that he holds because of how good he is, is humongous. The penalty is not the reason why we lost the game.
“As a collective, we weren’t good enough on the night. They (Liverpool) performed better than us and it’s as simple as that. Kylian can keep his head high. I know for sure that he will produce many more moments that are huge for this club.”
Mbappe's performances have come under scrutiny since his high-profile switch from Paris Saint-Germain. He has scored nine goals this season but only two of those have come in his last nine appearances across all competitions.
Mohamed Salah also missed from the spot in a thrilling Champions League contest, which placed Liverpool on the verge of automatic qualification and Real on the cusp of needing to go through the play-offs to advance to the knockout rounds. Mac Allister and Gakpo both struck in the second half during a dominant Reds display.
Head coach Arne Slot said: "You know how special it is to play against a team that has won the Champions League so many times. They were a pain in the a** for Liverpool for many years too. It is a big week and it is pleasing to see.
“It is great to see not only the starters but the players coming on are doing as we expect. If before the season I had counted points for this point in the season I wouldn't have done as much as we have now. Every time Real Madrid threatened us was from [our mistakes]. I think we can play with more intensity and better with the ball."
