Liverpool suffered their second successive loss on Tuesday night, when a moment of brilliance from Marcelo split the two teams. The Reds travelled to the Spanish capital with the thankless task of facing the most in-form side in Europe spearheaded by the world-class Cristiano Ronaldo, and the job at hand was even harder when Brendan Rodgers announced a weakened side. However, despite only four first-team regulars, Simon Mignolet, Alberto Moreno, Joe Allen and Martin Skrtel, starting, they certainly put in a performance to be proud of. Only Marcelo's excellent cross, which set up Karim Benzema for an effortless tap-in at the far post, separated them come full-time, and the likes of Kolo Toure and Lucas Leiva certainly gave their manager something to think about in the coming games. The Brazilian effectively quelled Madrid's threat in the final third and the Ivorian was almost faultless. He was superb in adding some much-needed stability to Rodgers' back-line. Though Carlo Ancelotti's side could have added to their lead, the Reds looked much more like a collective unit in all departments and it paid dividends. They come away without a result, and sit third in their Group B table of the Champions League, but the confidence and momentum taken from such a spirited performance will be priceless to a side that looked lifeless and abject of any self-belief away at Newcastle United the previous weekend. And they'll need it, when they face Chelsea this weekend, as the hardest week of their season gets harder. Here's five things we learned from Real Madrid 1-0 Liverpool:
1. Is the Champions League really Liverpool's priority?
Here it was. The biggest game in Liverpool's season for perhaps five or six years. A visit to the Bernabeu, home of the European champions. It was supposed to be a game where Liverpool approached with trepidation, but relished the opportunity as underdogs. That's what it was last time, as Rafael Benitez masterminded a magnificent 0-1 away win back in 2008/09. Though, the pre-match feelings after Brendan Rodgers had announced a Capital One Cup-strength side was that it was a slap to the face of the club's history in the competition. Liverpool traditionally go to the biggest clubs around the world and give them their best shot, but instead Rodgers seemed to be conceding defeat before the game even kicked-off. After a spirited display, criticisms were slightly lessened, but there was still a feeling that maybe a full-strength side could have taken something from Madrid, who were far from their best. Regardless of the passion and intensity shown from Liverpool's side, many have suggested that it's somewhat laughable the Reds have taken so much effort to get back into the Champions League, to then prioritise qualifying for it again next season as opposed to actually challenging in it last season. Despite what Rodgers said, it was relatively clear players were being rested for this weekend's Premier League fixture against Jose Mourinho's Chelsea. But if so, does that mean Rodgers is already prioritising domestic concerns over the competition in which the Merseyside club have been craving for years? It seems to defy the point of qualifying, if you're simply getting in the competition for the financial benefit and ensuring you continue to do so - instead, Liverpool should really be putting their all in to challenging for European honours, or else they could find themselves back in the Europa League sooner rather than later.
2. It's not the names on the back of the shirt, it's the badge on the front.
Much was made of the team-sheet, by Liverpool fans, rivals and pundits alike. Before a ball was even kicked, they were perceived not to be good enough. Written off by almost everyone. It wasn't seen as an opportunity for those players, but more as a sign of giving in from Brendan Rodgers. In truth, the side never looked too likely to score against Madrid, but they showed a lot more hunger and desire than a lot of the first-teamers. Everyone that was dropped, it would be difficult to make a case for that they deserve a place in the team. Raheem Sterling has been perhaps the best performer, but even he's had a string of poor performances of late. Steven Gerrard has had an inconsistent start, with a few decent games mixed in with performances exposing his weaknesses as a defensive midfielder. Dejan Lovren, Jordan Henderson, Joe Allen and the rest have yet to show the best of themselves, and so it's not hard to see that at the moment, Rodgers doesn't really have a "strongest line-up." On paper he does, of course, but what's paper worth when your best players are getting outshone by their teammates who haven't played in weeks?
3. The Reds can still qualify.
After three successive losses, away at Basel and home and away against Madrid, things are looking a bit bleak for Liverpool. They sit third, only above Ludogorets on goal difference and have yet to travel to Bulgaria, where the home side have beaten Basel and lost only 1-2 to Real. They then host Basel on the final night, which could be quite a tricky test given that those two are the favourites for the runners up position in the group. Liverpool might not be helped by the fact Los Blancos have sealed their progression and Ancelotti may opt to rest some of his first-teamers in their games at home to Ludogorets and away to Basel. However, Liverpool's place in the tournament, for now, is in their own hands. If they win both of their next two games, they will likely be into the Last 16. They need Madrid do them a favour in Switzerland, and they also need to improve their form in front of goal if they are to take two wins from the next two, but if they do so - the Reds will be back where they belong, the knockout stages of Europe's elite competition.
4. Kolo Toure and Lucas Leiva may still have roles yet.
Kolo Toure and Lucas Leiva were frequently linked with moves away from Anfield in the summer and for the mostpart, Liverpool fans would have been unlikely to shed a tear at their departures. Lucas, has struggled to find the form that made him Player of the Year under Kenny Dalglish after lengthy knee injuries whilst Toure's career on Merseyside has been plagued by high-profile errors. On Tuesday night however, those two were amongst the side's best performers. Lucas was very effective in keeping possession and shutting down Madrid's threat from midfield and despite those trademark unnecessary fouls, deserves a lot of credit for a fantastic individual performance. Toure was the best of the lot, reminding his teammates that it's not that hard to defend. Block after block, clearance after clearance, Toure was always in the right place at the right time. He even completed a dribble, to the away fans' delight. The Ivorian was a rock at the back, and rightly - calls have been made for him to line-up alongside Martin Skrtel at the weekend. Skrtel and Lovren's partnership has been far from spectacular, with their sense of positioning and contrasting styles of play far from helping each other. Toure and Skrtel however, seemed in tune with one another and despite a few errors which could have proved costly, were much more effective. The question now remains as to whether Toure and Lucas may have played themselves into their boss' plans for the immediate future.
5. Chelsea is a must-win.
Though the risk of playing a weakened side paid off, given that they suffered as minimal a loss as possible without having to risk the fitness of their best players, it now means that when they take on top-of-the-table Chelsea knowing they cannot afford to lose. If they do, Rodgers will come under the most flak so far in his managerial career. He will be blamed, no doubt. It's a very brave move indeed. The Ulsterman has staked all his chips into the hope that his side come away with a much-needed result against Chelsea, but if they don't - he's in trouble.