Contrary to expectations, los merengues turned out to have a core of cold, hard steel.
The milkshakes, as Real Madrid are known locally, did not curdle like Barcelona here in 2019. And they were every bit as resilient as their neighbours Atletico, the team from the Spanish capital with a reputation for cussedness in Europe. Atletico were comfortably dispatched by Chelsea in the last round, however.
One imagines Thomas Tuchel's men may find Real tougher customers. Certainly, this was a performance of great bravery and resilience. Forget the zero next to Madrid's name; it was the zero next to Liverpool's that was most impressive.