There's no point in beating around the proverbial bush—over the course of two legs in the Champions League round of 16, Liverpool was absolutely embarrassed by defending European champions Real Madrid.

The Reds found themselves trailing 5-2 on aggregate after the first leg and needing a minor miracle to advance. There was no magic for them at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, as it was Real Madrid who scored the only goal on Wednesday in a 1-0 victory that sent them through to the quarterfinals.

Obviously it was Karim Benzema who provided the match's lone breakthrough:

Were it not for the heroics of goalkeeper Alisson Becker, Real Madrid likely would have won by even more. It was emblematic of Liverpool's season in general—promise here and there, but in general, the crushing weight of disappointment amid the backdrop of past successes under manager Jürgen Klopp.

And nobody was taking it particularly easy on the Reds in the aftermath:

There's an argument to be made that no club in European football has been more disappointing than Liverpool this season. Last year, they were painfully close to pulling the quadruple, coming up just short against Real Madrid in the UCL final and falling just short of Manchester City in the Premier League.

But this year, Liverpool will finish without a trophy, ending the year in the top-four is hardly guaranteed and next year's berth in the Champions League is hanging in the balance. It's shocking to see how far Klopp's charges have fallen.

There's little shame in being knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid. It's how Liverpool was knocked out that was so disappointing. The once-giants were sent packing with little more than a dismissive flick by the defending champions. The fall from grace this season is complete.