A team with Modric at its heart was always going to be patient about breaking down a stubborn defence, so the fact that it took 20 minutes for anything to actually happen here is probably not cause for alarm. When it finally did, Alexander-Arnold’s goal opened the floodgates. Little is left to say about the limitations of Surreal Madrid, though at least Wilson’s hard work at 4-0 down forced a Tolisso own goal long after the horse had bolted. For the Pigs, it most resembled a training exercise. Their scorers included Higuain, Dybala and the exceptional Ismaily.

By Deirdre Damage