Why Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich could hinge on an intriguing Liverpool reunion | OneFootball

What a difference a year can make.

We are 20 days out from the first anniversary of Liverpool sealing their 20th Premier League title, a triumph of which Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luis Diaz were integral to. They will now be pitted against each other for two different teams - Real Madrid and Bayern Munich - in a colossal Champions League quarter-final, having gone down vastly contrasting paths since that afternoon of ecstasy at Anfield.

The local hero among Liverpool title-winners, Alexander-Arnold turned villain within the week of their crowning moment. The confirmation of his departure at the end of his contract, set to swap his boyhood club for a fierce European rival who had dealt the Reds so much heartache in years gone by, left a vocal section of the fanbase feeling betrayed and shortchanged. The right-back was 26, already among the best in his position but theoretically yet to enter his prime years, but bid farewell for only a fraction of his worth; Liverpool had the Club World Cup schedule to thank for the £10m that came in return, otherwise he would have left for free. It was anything but a clean break.

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Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure from Liverpool was anything but a clean break (Getty Images)

Two months later, Diaz followed out the door and garnered a reaction that diametrically opposed the wrath Alexander-Arnold received. Diaz was nearing his 30s, in his prime but at a point where his return on investment was probably at its peak, especially considering he had less than two years left on his contract. So despite an impressive season, where he was utilised effectively both on the left and up front, supporters accepted the decision to cash in on the Columbian as he made the move to Bayern Munich for £65.5m. It wasn’t as if Diaz didn’t want to move; it was quite the opposite, having also asked to leave the summer the prior. But there was little to no ill-feeling towards the player.

A tale of two sales, the duo’s debut seasons at their new clubs have very much conformed with how they left things at their old stomping grounds.

Diaz’s impact at Bayern was instant and fan adoration came accordingly, scoring in each of his first three Bundesliga outings after marking his maiden appearance with a decisive goal in the DFB-Supercup, the curtain-raiser the German season. He’s gone on to net 22 goals and bag 18 assists across all competitions in a spellbinding first campaign in Bavaria; his ability to single-handedly change the game in a moment has been sorely missed during Liverpool’s dire title defence. His attacking exploits are only second to one Harry Kane at league leaders Bayern, who is leading the race for the continent’s golden boot.

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Luis Diaz has starred for Bayern Munich since leaving Liverpool (Getty Images)

Then there’s Alexander-Arnold, who feels somewhat at risk of becoming the latest example of a Liverpool superstar to discover that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side; something Philippe Coutinho, Gini Wijnaldum and Sadio Mane all experienced before him. In the toxic cauldron of the Santiago Bernabeu, his defensive shortcomings that were always central to the arguments of his critics have translated into the Spanish game; it didn’t take long for fans to wonder whether then-manager Xabi Alonso should move him into midfield, a debate inherited from his Liverpool days.

So while Diaz is a nailed-on starter at Bayern, Alexander-Arnold’s inconsistency - compounded by injuries - has left him in a three-way battle for the right-back spot this season, mostly with veteran Dani Carvajal but also versatile midfielder Federico Valverde, who even when Carvajal was unavailable was sometimes preferred to the Englishman.

Alexander-Arnold has only completed a full 90 minutes four times in LaLiga this season. But in the Champions League, an arena he’s far more familiar with, he appears to be trusted. His league phase was hampered by muscle woes but against both Benfica and Manchester City in the knockouts, he started all four games, assisting Real’s progression.

There is good reason to believe he will keep his place against Bayern, providing for what could be a defining duel of former team-mates. Alexander-Arnold is yet to truly announce himself for Los Blancos but against Diaz, one of the continent’s most prolific players and a man he knows all too well, an opportunity to do so has presented itself.

Alexander-Arnold will know Diaz’s playbook, having trained against him for over three years. This experience puts him among the world’s most qualified right-sided defenders to thwart his threat, regardless of form.

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Alexander-Arnold (left) and Diaz during their Liverpool days (Getty Images)

And thanks to favourable circumstances, this could be the difference-maker for Alvaro Arbeloa’s side, who are very much leaning on the Champions League to turn their season around after the weekend’s shock defeat to Mallorca left them seven points behind LaLiga leaders Barcelona.

Bayern marksman Kane might just make fitness for the first leg following his late withdrawal from the England camp with a minor ankle injury, but he won’t be at peak match sharpness after 16 days without a minute. We may not get the Kane show in Madrid, meaning the impetus for goals is set to fall more on Diaz’s shoulders.

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Bayern’s top scorer Harry Kane (right) will lack match sharpness, putting the pressure for goals on Diaz’s shoulders (Getty Images)

Shutting out the Colombian could therefore put Real in prime position to take control of this tie. The emphasis on European success among Spain’s giants grants Alexander-Arnold the chance to overwrite any domestic struggles if he becomes key to Champions League glory.

There is a real possibility that the opposite could be true - that both players stay on the same track their campaigns have so far taken and Alexander-Arnold is undone by his former colleague, suffering a home humiliation he might not be able to recover from, two months before he is inevitably snubbed from England’s World Cup squad.

But if fortunes flip, this quarter-final could be the turning point for Alexander-Arnold at Real Madrid, coming at the expense of Diaz’s near-perfect season.