Still, Mbappe missed a penalty and did not resemble any superstar qualities he's exhibited in years past. Though Mo Salah also botched a penalty for Liverpool, Arne Slot's side won thanks to second-half goals by Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo.

There's still time for the cream to rise, but a topsy-turvy first half leaves some of Europe's biggest names threatened

Real Madrid playing Liverpool in the Champions League has twice in recent years been a final between arguably the two best teams in the competition.