It was one of the worst Champions League finals in recent memory, but Liverpool fans will not care as they say their side beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in Madrid to win their sixth European title. This title lifts Liverpool above Bayern Munich and Barcelona and behind only AC Milan and Real Madrid in the history of the world’s leading club competition
With neither side having played a match in three weeks due to the early end to the Premier League season, this pinnacle of European football looked at time like a preseason match with passes going astray and both sides resorting to 1980s long ball football.
Liverpool got off to a dream start when inside the opening 30 seconds of the match, Henderson lofted a ball over the Spurs defence to Sadio Mane, when his cross hit the outstretched arm of Moussa Sissoko, the referee pointed to the spot. There were 21 seconds on the clock.
It was a harsh decision but Salah made no mistake from the spot and Liverpool led 1-0 after less than two minutes.
Jurgen Klopp has built his reputation on “full-throttle” football, but in Madrid he became the reincarnation of Jose Mourinho and decided to park the bus.
Virgil van Dijk put Harry Kane in his back pocket, and if anything did get passed the best central defender in world football, Alisson was there to make the save,
Spurs huffed and puffed in the second half, but thee never seriously tested the Liverpool goalkeeper. He made several good saves, especially from Son and Lucas Moura, but he would have been disappointed if any of these shots had got passed him.
After all that pressure, though, Spurs were undone in the final minutes. They failed to clear a corner and when the ball fell to Origi ten yards out, he took a touch to steady himself and then drove it past Lloris low into the corner. This time, for Spurs, there was to be no comeback.
