Liverpool’s bid to win the Champions League for the seventh time ended in heartbreak as Real Madrid won in Paris thanks to Vinicius Jr’s second-half winner. Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois produced one of the great individual performances to thwart Liverpool time.
Mohamed Salah, seeking vengeance for his injury-time exit in the 2018 final against Real Madrid, was denied six times by Courtois, who was simply unbeatable. Carlo Ancelotti also makes history by becoming the first coach to win a fourth Champions League title.
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Real Madrid were always a threat and the game-winning goal came after 59 minutes when Vinicius broke in unmarked at the far post.
This was also a final marred by chaotic scenes outside Stade de France, with thousands of Liverpool fans unable to enter the stadium after being pepper-sprayed by French police, forcing the kick-off to be delayed by more than 30 minutes.
Liverpool’s incredible season earned them the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, both on penalties against Chelsea, but it ended in a double disappointment in the final week of a fantastic season.
The Champions League may have eased the pain of missing out on the Premier League by one point to Manchester City, only for Liverpool to be on the receiving end of a goalkeeping masterclass from Courtois.
The Belgian was a constant thorn in Salah’s side, brilliantly turning Sadio Mane’s shot on to the post and commanding his penalty area with faultless handling.
Mohamed Salah held his head in disbelief on numerous occasions as Courtois manned the Real Madrid barricade, leaving Salah to mourn another Champions League final defeat at the hands of the Spanish giants.
Liverpool were not at their best and eventually paid the price for not taking chances as Real Madrid pounced in trademark fashion to win the tournament for the 14th time in a row.
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Klopp’s team could not have given any more as they pushed to the final whistle, but they appeared jaded towards the end, which is understandable given the demands placed on them this season.
Liverpool will still be lauded for pursuing a historic quadruple until the final week of the season, but the outcome will be bittersweet.
Given the events outside Stade de France, the occasion left an even sour taste. Liverpool is demanding an investigation into how thousands of their fans were unable to enter the stadium, with dangerous crowds crammed into small spaces as kickoff approached.
