The sudden downpour seemed to give Liverpool a lifeline.
Before long, patches of standing water began appearing across the Anfield pitch, making it harder for the ball to roll cleanly.
Every pass became a little heavier, every touch a little riskier, and the rhythm Madrid had controlled so smoothly began to break apart.
Then Real Madrid made a mistake.
In the 70th minute, Fabinho stole the ball from Modrić's feet. Without hesitation, the Brazilian midfielder lifted his head and drove a long pass out to the wing.
On the left flank, Mané brought it under control.
The moment he did, the Anfield crowd roared again.
"Go on, Mané! Run at them! Make Madrid defend in this rain!"
"We need one goal. One goal and the whole mood changes."
"Take him on, Sadio. Be brave. This is Anfield — don't let them walk out comfortable."
Just as Mané was about to burst forward, Lucas Vázquez arrived in front of him at the first opportunity.
But Mané did not look worried.
He first stopped the ball under his foot, waiting for Vázquez's pace to slow.
Then, in the next instant, he suddenly pushed it forward again and exploded into space.
Vázquez could not match that burst.
He reached out, trying to pull Mané back, but once the Senegalese winger got moving, he was like a small cannonball. There was no stopping him with a half-hearted tug.
In an instant, Mané had already charged close to the byline.
Inside Madrid's penalty area, several Liverpool players were arriving to meet the cross.
Firmino.
Salah.
And Wijnaldum from midfield.
Three red shirts crashed into the box.
Mané squared the ball decisively.
The pass flashed through the narrow gap between goalkeeper and defenders, skidding viciously across the wet grass.
At the far post, Salah arrived and struck it first time without taking a touch.
Bang!
The ball flew over the crossbar.
Liverpool had missed a huge chance.
"Salah sends it over!" Rob Palmer called. "That was the moment Liverpool needed."
"He tries to hit it too hard," Terry Gibson noted. "In those conditions, with the ball skidding across the pitch, he probably just needs to guide it back across goal. But he goes for power, and it gets away from him."
"The rain is definitely changing things," Rob added. "It's making the ball unpredictable, and both teams are having to adjust quickly."
Goal kick for Real Madrid.
As an experienced goalkeeper, Courtois did not risk playing it short in those conditions.
Instead, he launched the ball straight toward Liverpool's half.
Up front, Benzema competed with Van Dijk for the header.
The Dutch center-back had the height advantage, and in that aerial duel, he got there first and cleared it away.
But the second ball still belonged to Madrid.
And this time, the player who received it was Theodore Bjorn.
Whenever Theodore touched the ball, no matter where he was on the pitch, the Liverpool fans immediately grew tense.
By now, the Anfield crowd had developed something close to a collective fear of him.
"Why is Theodore free again? Why? Why do we keep doing this?"
"Someone get close to him before he decides to shoot from another postcode."
"Theodore has the ball and I already hate what's about to happen."
"We saw this in England last season. You don't give him time. Ever."
Just as the Liverpool supporters were complaining about their team's defending, Theodore shifted the ball with his right foot.
The next second, he lifted his leg.
And shot.
Yes.
From there.
His position was roughly thirty-three meters from goal!
Bang!
The ball flew like an arrow released from a bow, cutting through the rain and tearing toward Alisson's goal with frightening speed.
On the goal line, the Brazilian goalkeeper reacted instantly. He threw himself into the air, stretching his arm as far as it could go.
But even that was not enough.
His fingertips never reached it.
The ball flew into the net.
5–1!
"Theodore from distance! Oh, that is outrageous!" Rob shouted. "A thunderbolt through the rain, and Real Madrid have five at Anfield!"
"That is world-class," Terry said. "The technique, the power, the confidence to take it on from thirty-three meters in these conditions — it's ridiculous. Alisson sees it, he goes for it, and he still can't get there."
"The suspense is surely gone now," Rob continued. "Madrid are not just beating Liverpool. They are crushing them in their own stadium."
Anfield fell silent once again.
Liverpool's fans had completely broken down mentally, and more and more of them began leaving the stands.
They could no longer bear to keep watching.
📱 @MadridistaHQ ✔
Thirty-three meters. In the rain. At Anfield. Theodore Bjorn is not real.
| ↳ 📱 @BlancoPulse
| Reply: Three goals, two assists. He has personally destroyed Liverpool.
📱 @AnfieldRedZone ✔
I'm done. I cannot watch Theodore bully us for another twenty minutes.
| ↳ 📱 @KopFaithful
| Reply: He left the Premier League and still came back to haunt us. Pain.
📱 @GlobalFootyFeed ✔
Real Madrid 5–1 up at Anfield. Theodore has turned a Champions League quarterfinal into a Ballon d'Or campaign video!
Over the next ten minutes, Liverpool's players lost what little fighting spirit they had left.
There was no longer any realistic chance of turning the match around.
The rain kept falling, Anfield kept emptying, and Madrid calmly saw out the rest of the game.
After ninety minutes, the final score was fixed at 5–1.
Real Madrid had crushed Liverpool at Anfield!
Without any suspense, Theodore was once again named Man of the Match.
Three goals.
Two assists.
He had directly contributed to all five Real Madrid goals.
...
After the match ended, Jürgen Klopp took the initiative and walked over to Theodore.
"Theodore Bjorn," Klopp said with a helpless smile, "well played. Looks like Liverpool are going to stop at the quarterfinals."
There was no anger in his voice.
Only resignation.
Theodore patted Klopp on the shoulder and smiled.
"Liverpool are good at comebacks. Don't forget, you once produced the Miracle of Istanbul and the Miracle of Anfield. Maybe next match…"
Before Theodore could finish, Klopp shook his head and cut in.
"Impossible."
He gave a bitter laugh.
"Facts have proven that we simply have no way to stop you from scoring."
Those were definitely Klopp's honest words.
Whether in last season's Premier League or in this Champions League match that had just ended, Liverpool's ability to limit Theodore was practically zero.
...
At the post-match press conference, Klopp continued to praise Theodore.
"When last season ended, I heard Theodore had transferred to Real Madrid," Klopp said. "At the time, I was very happy, because Liverpool finally had a chance to challenge for the Premier League title again."
The room laughed softly.
Klopp smiled helplessly and spread his hands.
"But who would have thought that this season, Liverpool would run into Real Madrid in the Champions League, and Real Madrid would now have Theodore?"
His tone became more serious.
"I can feel that since joining Real Madrid, Theodore's individual ability has become even stronger. He is faster, his passing is more precise, and he is more experienced. Last season, he was already almost impossible to deal with. Now, he looks even more complete."
After Klopp finished speaking, a local English reporter continued asking, "One week from now, Liverpool will face Real Madrid at the Bernabéu in the second leg of the quarterfinal. Personally, do you think Liverpool can complete a comeback?"
After hearing that question, Klopp revealed an awkward smile.
"That will be very difficult," he said.
Then, after a short pause, he added, "But I believe Liverpool's players will work hard."
...
That night, the English and Spanish media immediately exploded.
📰 Sky Sports: Theodore Tears Anfield Apart! Real Madrid Smash Liverpool 5–1 in Quarterfinal Statement!
📰 BBC Sport: Hat-Trick Hero Theodore Returns to England and Leaves Liverpool on the Brink!
📰 The Times: Klopp's Revenge Mission Collapses as Real Madrid's Galáctico Machine Runs Riot at Anfield!
📰 The Guardian: Liverpool Drowned by Madrid Storm — Theodore Scores Three and Creates Two in Ruthless Away Win!
📰 Daily Mail: Welcome Back to England! Theodore Humiliates Liverpool on a Nightmare Night at Anfield!
📰 MARCA: Anfield Falls Silent! Theodore Leads Madrid's Five-Star Demolition of Liverpool!
📰 AS: From Premier League King to Madrid Emperor — Theodore Conquers England Again!
📰 Madrid Sports: Three Goals, Two Assists, One Monster Performance — Theodore Sends Real Madrid Toward the Semifinals!
On social media, the reaction was just as wild.
📱 @TheodoreBjorn_Official ✔
Massive performance from the whole squad tonight at one of the toughest stadiums in Europe. We stay focused, we keep working, and we finish the job at the Bernabéu. Thank you to the travelling fans. ⚪🔥
| ↳ 📱 @MadridistaHQ
| Reply: Best player in the world. No debate.
| ↳ 📱 @VillaParkFaithful
| Reply: Seeing you cook English teams again brings back beautiful memories.
📱 @LFC_RedWall ✔
I don't even know what to say. Theodore is a nightmare. He was a nightmare last season and he's still a nightmare now.
| ↳ 📱 @NeutralUCLFan
| Reply: Liverpool didn't lose to Madrid. They lost to Theodore Bjorn wearing a Madrid shirt.
📱 @UCLMadridista ✔
5–1 at Anfield. Three goals and two assists from Theodore. The Ballon d'Or race is over.
| ↳ 📱 @FootballThreads
| Reply: It might have been over months ago, honestly.
...
That night, Real Madrid's players immediately took a flight back to Spain.
Four days later, on April 12, Real Madrid would host Barcelona at the Bernabéu.
El Clásico was arriving once again.
At that moment, after twenty-nine rounds of La Liga, Real Madrid had won twenty-nine straight matches and collected eighty-seven points.
Barcelona's current record stood at twenty wins, five draws, and four losses, giving them sixty-five points.
The gap between the two teams was twenty-two points.
If second-placed Barcelona still wanted to challenge for the La Liga title, they had to win this match.
And if Real Madrid won, they would secure the La Liga title eight rounds early.
But honestly, judging from the current form of the two teams, Barcelona's chances of winning away from home were extremely low.
The build-up to El Clásico began almost immediately.
📰 MARCA: Barcelona Arrive at the Bernabéu Fighting for Survival — Madrid One Win Away From Early Coronation!
📰 AS: El Clásico Becomes a Title Judgment Day! Can Barça Stop Theodore Before Madrid Lift La Liga?
📰 Mundo Deportivo: Barcelona Face Mission Impossible at the Bernabéu — Win or Watch Madrid Celebrate!
📰 Sport: Koeman's Last Stand? Barça Must Beat the Unbeaten Galácticos to Keep Title Hopes Alive!
📰 Madrid Sports: From Anfield Carnage to Clásico Glory? Theodore Bjorn Eyes Another Historic Night!
📱 @BarcaUniversal ✔
Twenty-two points behind, away at the Bernabéu, against an unbeaten Real Madrid. This is either a miracle or a massacre.
| ↳ 📱 @CulerHeart
| Reply: It's El Clásico. Form doesn't matter. We fight.
📱 @MadridModeOn ✔
Liverpool got hit for five. Barcelona are next. Bring the title home at the Bernabéu.
| ↳ 📱 @BlancoPulse
| Reply: Imagine winning La Liga against Barça. The script is perfect.
📱 @GlobalFootyFeed ✔
Real Madrid return from destroying Liverpool at Anfield and now prepare for El Clásico, where a win over Barcelona would secure La Liga with eight rounds to spare. Football doesn't get much bigger than this.
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