"The best team in Europe is still Real Madrid"

Liverpool manager Arne Slot said Real Madrid had been "a pain in the ass" for his side for many years. The Dutch manager spoke into the microphones of ‘TNT Sports’ after the 2-0 win over Real Madrid.
"It's very special to beat a team that has won so many Champions League titles. They've been a pain in the ass for Liverpool for many years. It's a very important week and it's been a pleasure to watch the team."
"Every time Madrid have created danger for us it's been our fault. I think we can play with more intensity and better on the ball," added Slot, who has succeeded Jurgen Klopp in the dugout and done so with the best start in the club's history, with 31 out of 36 points in the Premier League and 15 out of 15 in the Champions League.
"I didn't have a timetable of how many points I wanted to get. What I wanted was to implement the style of play as soon as possible. It has not been very difficult because it was no different to Jurgen's. It's great to see that not only the starters, but also the substitutes, are doing what we expect of them. If I had predicted at the beginning of the season how many points we would have, it wouldn't be as many as we have now," he said.
On the penalties missed by both Kylian Mbappe and Mohamed Salah, Slot said it was proof that they are human beings: "In the case of Mbappe, Kelleher was fantastic. He has done unbelievable during this time (Alisson's absence)".
Speaking to 'Movistar +', the Reds boss showed deep respect for Real Madrid despite the win: "They are still the best team in Europe because they are still the reigning champions. If we want to go all the way, we're probably going to come up against them because they're always there in the finals.