LONDON - Jurgen Klopp admitted that Liverpool’s hopes of winning the Champions League this season were all but over, after crashing to a 5-2 home defeat by Real Madrid in the first leg of their last-16 tie on Tuesday.

The Reds manager did not like what he saw after going 2-0 up, with poor defending allowing the Spanish giants to hit back mercilessly.

“We gave all five goals away, all five,” he lamented.

The match was a repeat of last season’s final and it offered Liverpool the chance for revenge.

Instead, their frailties were brutally exposed by Real despite the Spanish side conceding twice inside the first 15 minutes.

There was an extra edge to Anfield’s normal noise on a big European night.

An independent investigation into the chaotic scenes surrounding the Champions League final in Paris last May has laid the blame clearly on Uefa for endangering the safety of supporters.

The home fans were in no mood to forgive European football’s governing body as the competition’s anthem was booed and banners aimed at Uefa and the French authorities sprinkled over the Kop.

Klopp’s men were charged by the electric atmosphere that rocked Real back on their heels.

Liverpool’s £64 million (S$103 .6 million) summer signing Darwin Nunez showed flashes of what he is capable of with a brilliant back-heel to open the scoring in the fourth minute, before Mohamed Salah pounced on an uncharacteristic error from Thibaut Courtois to make it 2-0.

But Vinicius Junior’s strike, the first of two goals, brought Real back into the match and Karim Benzema’s double showed exactly what Real are made of.

In between, there was plenty of self-inflicted damage from Liverpool.

Not for the first time this season, Alisson Becker’s distribution cost his side as Vinicius charged down his Brazil teammate’s clearance to equalise at 2-2.

Eder Militao was then given acres of room to head in Luka Modric’s free kick to suck the life out of Anfield just two minutes into the second half.

“The second goal was slapstick. The first goal we have to defend better, there are enough players around. It is a world-class moment from Vinicius as well but obviously we can defend better,” Klopp said.

“Half-time was rather positive but then we start with a third goal which is a horrible goal and pretty much the game changer.

“We lost the momentum in that moment and never got it back. The second half was the game Real Madrid wanted to play.”

The Liverpool boss added that he is not expecting much from the return leg at the Bernabeu in March, saying: “We will go there and try to win the game. I don’t know if it is possible but we will see.”

Languishing in eighth in the Premier League and with their defence of both domestic Cups also over, Liverpool now find themselves at a crossroads.

Klopp has made Champions League football a norm again at Anfield, but there is a real risk that six successive seasons in the competition will end after this term.

A rebuild is badly needed on the field if Liverpool are to return to the heights Klopp has taken them in recent years.

“This is a reality check,” former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard told BT Sport.

“Liverpool were dominated. Any team that concedes five goals, there has to be an inquest. There’s going to be a bit of soul-searching now.”

On the other hand, Carlo Ancelotti was thrilled with his forward’ performance.

“Vinicius was brilliant as always,” the Real coach said of the player with the most goal attempts (28) and shots on target (15) in the Champions League this season and is the most fouled player in Europe’s top five leagues (82).

“He doesn’t stop and keeps going. I hope he can continue like this.

“It was an historic win, mostly because we fell two goals behind. But we never backed down and kept our cool, did not panicked and we turned around a very difficult game.” AFP, REUTERS