Henderson: We have a lot to learn

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Liverpool vice-captain Jordan Henderson admits the lesson they were taught by Real Madrid shows just how much they have to improve to compete with Europe's elite.

A 3-0 defeat - with all the goals coming in an 18-minute first-half spell after the visitors had weathered the early storm - hardly told the full story.

The defending champions, with one eye on Saturday's El Clasico at home to Barcelona, took their foot off the gas after the break which did Liverpool a favour but still could have added to their tally.

"This Real Madrid team is top class with the best players in the world but that's who you want to be playing against and testing yourself, always trying to improve ourselves as a team," said the England midfielder.

"That's where we want to get to - to be a top team like Madrid playing at the highest level and I think we can do that.

"The first 20 minutes I felt as though we had a right good go and got in behind them a couple of times.

"We had a couple of half-chances to get a goal and then you never know but we just need to be a bit more ruthless in the final third.

"When you are on top you need to put your chances away.

"Hopefully we can keep improving and work on the things we didn't do quite so well."

Cristiano Ronaldo's sublime finish - his first goal at Anfield and Real's first against Liverpool in their fourth meeting - kicked things off with Karim Benzema benefiting from the Reds' aerial vulnerability to score a header and then convert from close range at a corner.

"For me, Ronaldo is the best player in the world. Big players in big games do big things," added Henderson.

"For the first goal it was an outstanding finish. From then on we struggled to really get going again until the second half, when we increased it and were a little bit better.

"We were playing for a bit of pride. We knew if we got a goal we could try to get back in the game."