Liverpool defender Nat Phillips admits taking on Karim Benzema last season was a difficult task.
The Reds lost the first leg of their Champions League quarter final to Real 3-1 at the Bernabeu, before managing a 0-0 draw at Anfield.
Despite exiting the competition at that stage at the hands of Real, Phillips learned a lot from taking on a striker of Benzema's caliber.
He told Liverpool Echo: "You had to be switched on constantly, you had to always be looking and tracking where he was. If you took your eye off him for a second, he could find space and finish. He did it a few times but it didn't quite land for him.
"It was a real eye-opening experience for me, to see how high the level is with a striker like himself who can find a yard and lose himself from you in a split-second. I enjoyed the battle, I enjoyed playing against him and I enjoy testing myself against the best players."
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