Liverpool's Champions League hopes were left hanging in the balance as Real Madrid ran out 5-2 winners at Anfield in the first-leg of their round of 16 tie.
The hosts made a dream start to the contest, scoring two in the first 14 minutes through Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah.
However, two goals from Vinicius Jr in the first-half and then a complete capitulation in the second, leaves the reigning champions with a huge advantage going into the reverse fixture.
An Eder Militao header and two Karim Benzema strikes were the difference as the reigning champions scored five at Anfield, the first-ever team to do so in a European game.
Jurgen Klopp's side have a mammoth task ahead of them in the return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu in three weeks time.
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Story of the Game
This was always going to be a thrilling encounter, two sides with a rich history in European football's top competition, a combined 20 titles between them.
The Reds posed the most of the early threat, Nunez started on the left, with Cody Gakpo through the middle, and Salah in his usual spot on the right flank.
Anfield was electric before kick-off but the atmosphere went up a notch in the sixth minute when Salah found Nunez unmarked in the middle of the Madrid box, and the Uruguayan calmly flicked a back-heel past Thibaut Courtois.
The Egyptian then had a claim for a penalty waved away by referee Istvan Kovacs before the 10 minute mark then fired just wide five minutes later after working his way into the penalty area again.
He eventually got his goal when Courtois hesitated in clearing a back pass, knocking the ball into the 30-year-old's feet, and he made no mistake from close range.
The crowd then taunted the Madrid stopper as the ball made its way back to him again, but he was composed and found his own player this time.
Real Madrid got a goal back with their first real chance of the contest just after the 20 minute mark, Vinicius continued his fine scoring record against Jurgen Klopp's side, cutting inside and smashing the ball past Alisson after a fine exchange with Karim Benzema.
A goalmouth scramble nearly resulted in Liverpool restoring their two goal cushion, after Jordan Henderson found Salah, the ball eventually fell to Nunez who was three yards out, a superb block from Dani Carvajal stopping a certain goal.
David Alaba was forced to leave the field after half an hour and was replaced by Nacho Fernandez.
The Spaniards were beginning to threaten more regularly as the half progressed.
Nunez won a header in his own box to deny Carvajal from getting a header at the back post, and the resulting corner fell to the Madrid goalscorer, Alisson making a stunning save to deny him this time before Federico Valverde blazed over the crossbar from range.
The Reds came straight back at them, Trent Alexander-Arnold nearly finding his fellow full-back Andy Robertson with a cross from the right-hand side.
However, the visitors were on level terms when the Liverpool keeper then made a howler of his own with just over 35 minutes gone.
He kicked the ball straight at Vinicius, who knew not very much about it when the ball richocheted into the goal after he chased down a Joe Gomez pass back.
The Brazilian nearly turned provider when he found Rodrygo in space at the Kop end. but Robertson just managed to get a foot on it to stop him tapping in from close range on the stroke of half time.
The hosts completely imploded after the interval, allowing the away side to score three goals in 22 minutes and put the game beyond doubt.
Militao's header was smashed home from a Luca Modric free-kick just three minutes into the half, after Gomez was judged to have fouled Vinicius.
Their lead was increased to two goals in the 55th minute when Vinicius found Benzema after they had dispossessed Stefan Bajcetic on the edge of his own box and his left-footed effort left Alisson helpless after a wicked deflection off Gomez.
The only blot on Vinicius' performance was a booking on the hour mark for stopping the hosts from taking a quick free-kick, but he had very quickly forgotten about that.
It was game over when the two combined again for the Frenchman's second after Fabinho had given the ball away to Modric in the 67th minute.
Klopp replaced Gakpo and Nunez with Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino with around 25 minutes remaining as the Reds looked for a way back into the clash.
18-year-old Bajcetic nearly obliged with a long range effort after a corner found its way back to him, but it was narrowly wide of the post.
Joel Matip and James Milner then came on for Gomez and Henderson with just over 15 minutes remaining.
Dani Ceballos and Marco Asensio replaced Rodrygo and Benzema, whilst Harvey Elliott replaced Bajcetic for the hosts in the later stages of the match.
The Ole's from the travelling supporters summarised the final stages of the contest, as it ebbed to a damb squib as Liverpool failed to threaten with any purpose.
Vinicius Jr.
Caused chaos down the right flank, scoring two goals and assisting another two.
He continued his remarkable record against the Reds, he has now scored five and assisted two in four games against jurgen Klopp.
At 22 years and 224 days old, he is the youngest player to score two against Liverpool at Anfield in major European competition since Johan Cruyff in December 1966 (19y, 233d).
A truly world-class performance from the winger.