Liverpool’s effort to win the Champions League for the eighth time came up short in Paris, as Real Madrid won thanks to a second-half winner from Vinicius Jr.
Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois delivered one of the great individual performances to frustrate Liverpool time and time again, as Jurgen Klopp’s side ran into a one-man wall of defiance.
Mohamed Salah, seeking retribution for his early exit from the 2018 final against Real Madrid due to injury, was denied six times by Courtois, who was simply untouchable.
Carlo Ancelotti also makes history by becoming the first coach to win the Champions League four times.
Real were always a threat and the decisive moment came after 59 minutes when Vinicius stole in unmarked at the far post to score.
This was also a final marred by chaotic scenes outside Stade de France with thousands of Liverpool fans, some targeted with pepper spray by French police, unable to get into the stadium, forcing the kick-off to be delayed by more than 30 minutes.
Liverpool’s fantastic season saw them win the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, both on penalties against Chelsea, but the season ended in a double disappointment in the last week.
The Champions League might have alleviated 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 Courtois’ goalkeeping masterclass.
The Belgian was immaculate in his handling and was a continuous thorn in Salah’s side. He superbly diverted Sadio Mane’s attempt on to the post and commanded his penalty area.
Salah shook his head in astonishment on numerous times as Courtois manned the Real Madrid barricade, forcing the Egyptian to suffer the consequences of his actions.
