After months of anticipation the final in Madrid finally took place. Liverpool coming off a big comeback win against Barcelona were heavy favorites going into this game, but Tottenham with a great win over Ajax would leave some fans to believe momentum could be on their side. This match would shape up to be another instant classic, finishing off the tournament with a great game to put fans at ease before the two months without soccer begins.
When the game began no team could string any passes together, but a quick through ball was sent down the sideline for Sadio Mane. 24 seconds into the game he would attempt a cross but it would be blocked by a flailing arm of a Tottenham defender, granting Liverpool with a penalty kick. In last years final, Liverpool’s best player, Mohammed Salah, would be taken off the field with a broken collarbone early in the match. So this year who else but him to take the penalty kick to hopefully start the game with a goal. He lined up and laced through the ball, hitting hit as hard as he could, getting the ball past French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, and scoring. 1-0 in the opening 2 minutes of the game gave Liverpool a huge advantage at a neutral location.
Now if I were to give you just the statistics without the scoreline for this game, you undoubtedly would pick Tottenham as the winner. They had 5 more shots on target then Liverpool, along with almost double the amount of passes with 510 compared to Liverpool’s 272. They also had 65% possession in the game. But, led by Virgil Van Dijk, Liverpool’s back line of defense stayed strong the entire game. Alisson, Liverpool’s goalkeeper, made many saves to keep a shutout for Liverpool. In the second half, Liverpool would substitute in Divock Origi, who saved his team from elimination against Barcelona in their previous game. He would continue his scoring run by placing a perfect shot into the bottom right corner with 10 minutes left in the game.
The game would end 2-0 in favor of Liverpool, crowning them the new champions of European football. With a young team, there is no reason why they can’t reach the final again next season as long as the team stays healthy. After an amazing run in the Premier League, falling just short of the title, and cruising through victories in the Champions League, they are undoubtedly the most deserving team for this trophy. This gives Liverpool their 6 Uefa Champions league title.
The 91st minute 