Florian Wirtz shared a poignant moment with his former boss Xabi Alonso in the tunnel after Liverpool's Champions League triumph over Real Madrid. Alonso wasn't the only ex-Red making a return, as Trent Alexander-Arnold was met with a frosty reception during his first match back at Anfield on Tuesday evening.

Following their 2-0 Premier League victory against Aston Villa last weekend, Liverpool were keen to maintain their momentum. They managed to do so thanks to Alexis Mac Allister's decisive goal in the 61st minute, showing promising signs after a challenging period under Arne Slot. The victory propels Liverpool to sixth place in the Champions League league table, having secured three wins and suffered one loss in their first four matches.

This marks the second time in two years that the Reds have bested Real Madrid at Anfield. Tuesday's match saw several reunions, including summer signings Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong facing off against their former manager Alonso, who led them during a successful stint at Bayer Leverkusen.

Both Liverpool stars experienced the pinnacle of their careers so far under the Spanish manager, clinching the Bundesliga title in the 2023-24 season and momentarily disrupting Bayern Munich's reign in Germany.

A heartwarming moment was captured in the tunnel by Spanish outlet El Desmarque, showing a close-knit interaction between Alonso, Wirtz and Frimpong. Alonso warmly embraced Wirtz, keeping his arm around him as they engaged in conversation.

The trio continued their chat before Wirtz seemingly presented Alonso with a Liverpool shirt, highlighting the strong bond between the current Liverpool player and his former manager. Despite the disappointing result for his team, Alonso took time to catch up with his old stars.

This comes amidst rumours that Alonso had hoped for a reunion with Wirtz at Real Madrid this summer. However, Liverpool emerged victorious in the transfer battle, securing Wirtz's move for a whopping £116million.

Since his transfer, Wirtz has yet to hit his best form, often finding himself on the bench. Nevertheless, he was back in the starting line-up against Real Madrid, playing 88 minutes of the match and producing arguably his best performance yet.

Alexander-Arnold meanwhile returned to Anfield after his summer transfer to Real Madrid. The full-back, returning from injury, came onto the pitch for the final nine minutes of the game.

He was met with boos as he was substituted on and was unable to help his new team level the score against Liverpool, who walked away with a crucial three points.

Slot's team are bracing themselves for another tough challenge, as they prepare to face Manchester City on Sunday in a bid to close the gap on league leaders Arsenal ahead of the international break.