Jamie Carragher slams 'unacceptable' Liverpool performance

Jamie Carragher has slammed Liverpool for their 'unacceptable' first-half display in Tuesday's Champions League defeat to Real Madrid.

The Reds found themselves two goals down at half time in the first leg of their quarter-final first leg in the Spanish capital after a sluggish opening 45 minutes.

Mohamed Salah pulled one back for Liverpool early in the second half, but Vinicius Junior went on to double his personal tally and leave Jurgen Klopp's men with a mountain to climb in the return leg.

Carragher felt his former side let themselves down with their first-half display, which he described as one of their worst since Klopp took charge in October 2015.

"That first-half performance I think is one of the worst I have seen under Jurgen Klopp in six years," he told CBS Sports. "There was nothing there going forward. No intensity. Given chances up. Lucky it was only 2-0.

"What I saw in the second half is what I thought I would see for 90 minutes where it was almost a 50-50 game. Real Madrid were still good in the second half. But Liverpool made a game of it.

"The first half was not acceptable. It was nowhere near good enough. They were miles off it. We talk about the team and the midfield that he picked.

"Naby Keita went into midfield to put pressure on [Toni] Kroos and [Luka] Modric and he was nowhere near them, and ends up getting brought off just before half time."

Liverpool welcome Madrid to Anfield next Wednesday for the second leg, but first they host Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday.