Skrtel: What we can take from Madrid tie
Martin Skrtel left the Santiago Bernabeu on the losing team on Tuesday night, but nevertheless the Liverpool centre-back made the return journey to Merseyside from Madrid with a renewed sense of confidence.
The scoreboard showed a 1-0 scoreline in Real's favour when the full-time whistle was blown on their Champions League Group B contest, with Karim Benzema's first-half conversion from close range the difference between the two teams.
It was a blot on an otherwise encouraging copybook for Brendan Rodgers' players. Assured and controlled in possession, with willing runners in every department ready to counter-attack, the manager later argued that his side deserved a draw.
Skrtel operated in tandem with the stubborn and diligent Kolo Toure in the heart of the defence to regularly quell any Real forays forward, and if the reigning holders did break through, they mostly found Simon Mignolet a formidable obstacle.
So, while there were no points to show for a battling display against Carlo Ancelotti's in-form charges, the Liverpool No.37's disappointment was tempered by the positives he could reflect on in the days that followed.
"It was disappointing after the game because we lost, but if you look at it back, the performance was OK - we played quite well and defended well," the Slovakian explained to Liverpoolfc.com, back at Melwood.
"It's just a shame about the result. Especially in the second half, we kept the ball and we created some chances but couldn't score. Unfortunately, we conceded one and lost the game. The team had a lot of changes after the Newcastle game.
"It was a completely different team, but we played well and we saw that we could compete against a team like Real Madrid - one of the best, if not the best, in the world. The performance can give us some confidence."
On Mignolet's contribution, he added: "When you play against Real Madrid, they always create chances and you need your 'keeper to perform well. That was the case. Simon did really well, made some crucial saves and really helped us in the game."
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An equally frustrating 1-0 reversal in the Barclays Premier League had preceded Tuesday's loss in Spain, with a second-half strike enough for Newcastle United to overcome the Reds at St James' Park last Saturday.
It means Liverpool have now recorded only two clean sheets in their 16 fixtures so far this season. The whole team is responsible for that statistic, according to Skrtel, but the 29-year-old pledged that improvements are to be expected.
Providing his assessment, the defender continued: "When you're conceding goals and not keeping clean sheets, the back four and 'keeper are always the first to be blamed and criticised.
"It's easy to criticise the back four and 'keeper, but it's fair to say we are defending as a team and attacking as a team; it's not only about the back four and the 'keeper.
"But we know what we're doing wrong and where we made mistakes so we'll try to improve for the future, try to play better in defence and try to score more goals as well."