Szoboszlai steals the show as Liverpool beat Real Madrid at Anfield

November 5, 2025 Oliver Obel

Arne Slot’s men played with conviction from the first whistle, pressing high and moving the ball with purpose. The breakthrough came midway through the second half when Alexis Mac Allister’s glancing header met a pinpoint free-kick from Dominik Szoboszlai, finally beating the inspired Thibaut Courtois in the Madrid goal.

But while Mac Allister’s name went on the scoresheet, the night belonged to Szoboszlai — the relentless midfielder who orchestrated everything Liverpool did well.

Szoboszlai’s midfield masterclass

Few players in Europe have adapted to a new system as quickly as the Hungarian. After Liverpool’s busy summer — which saw big arrivals like Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak — many assumed Szoboszlai might be the one to make way. Instead, he has become undroppable.

Against Madrid, he was everywhere: pressing, creating, dictating the tempo. Journalist Lewis Steele called him a “machine,” and the numbers backed it up.

According to Sofascore, Szoboszlai completed 30 of his 37 passes, delivered three perfect crosses, and hit the target with four of his five shots. His tireless running and composure on the ball set the rhythm that Madrid never quite matched.

Slot has already joked this season that the 25-year-old would fetch “over £100 million” in today’s market — and on this evidence, he wasn’t exaggerating.

Fans in full voice

If there was any doubt about how much Liverpool supporters have taken to Szoboszlai, Tuesday night erased it. The Kop chanted his name throughout the second half, and social media lit up after the final whistle.

One fan on X (formerly Twitter) called him “the best midfielder in the world right now,” while another quipped that Jude Bellingham “got nowhere near him.” Others went even further, calling it “an all-time Anfield performance in front of Steven Gerrard.”

Comparisons flooded in with Europe’s elite — Declan Rice, Moisés Caicedo, Pedri, Frenkie de Jong — and many Reds fans insisted none could match Szoboszlai’s mix of power and finesse.

Eyes on Manchester

The win could hardly come at a better time. Liverpool now turn their attention to a top-of-the-table clash with Manchester City at the Etihad on Sunday evening — a fixture that may shape the Premier League title race heading into the international break.

Confidence is back, the crowd is buzzing, and Arne Slot’s Liverpool look like a team reborn. At the heart of it all stands Dominik Szoboszlai — the midfielder turning Anfield’s belief into momentum once again.

Sources: BBC, Reuters, The Guardian, Sofascore, Lewis Steele (via social media).