Empire of the Kop
·5 novembre 2025
Liverpool defender fires cheeky Vinicius reference after Bradley’s Real Madrid display

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Yahoo sportsEmpire of the Kop
·5 novembre 2025

Liverpool’s dressing room spirit was on full display after our Champions League victory over Real Madrid and it came in the comments section of Conor Bradley’s Instagram post.
The Northern Irish right-back, who starred in our 1–0 win at Anfield, posted: “Enjoyed that one! Thank you Anfield ❤️” after keeping Vinicius Jr quiet throughout the night.
His defensive masterclass didn’t go unnoticed.
Among the replies was a message from fellow right-back Jeremie Frimpong, currently sidelined through injury, who cheekily wrote: “Talk about locking someone 👀👀.”

(Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
It was a playful nod to Bradley’s dominant performance, one that showed exactly why Arne Slot has placed such trust in him this season.
The Dutch defender’s comment lit up the replies, with several teammates joining in.
Hugo Ekitike simply wrote “Thanks”, Ryan Gravenberch added “Too good”, Giorgi Mamardashvili dropped “🔥🔥❤️”, and Dominik Szoboszlai responded with “👏”.
It’s not the first time Frimpong has shared his feelings publicly while recovering.
In a recent TikTok update, the £30 million summer signing admitted how difficult it’s been to watch from the sidelines, saying: “As a footballer, it’s not a nice thing to go through… it’s really, really annoying, but it’s life.”
That honesty and his latest post show the camaraderie between Liverpool’s new-look squad, even when injuries bite.

(Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
The 22-year-old has been growing in confidence under Arne Slot, who said before the match: “He played very well in that game [vs. Real Madrid last season] for 80 minutes… he is progressing, getting fitter and fitter and showing the potential he has.”
Those words looked prophetic on Tuesday night.
Bradley limited Vinicius to just one shot and 0.03 expected goals, according to Opta Analyst, in a match Liverpool dominated from start to finish.
It was a second straight win for the Reds after the 2–0 victory over Aston Villa, marking a timely resurgence as we chase down Manchester City and Arsenal at the top.
Moments like this, an injured teammate supporting from afar, remind us that the togetherness in this group runs deep.
And with both Frimpong and Bradley pushing each other on, Liverpool’s right flank looks in very safe hands for years to come.
You can view the post via Bradley’s Instagram account:
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Conor Bradley (@conorbradley.03)
You can watch Slot’s post-match press conference via Empire of the Kop on YouTube:
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