Real Madrid beat Liverpool (1-0) in a Champions League final that nearly wasn’t played due to fan riots and organisational problems. This is the Blancos 14th title.
El Madrid se gana su #14. Después de una larga temporada llena de tensión y partidos donde su victoria casi que no se esperaba, los Blancos salen victoriosos de ésta Champions. Según el resultado final de París- una victoria mínima. Según los libros – la seguida de su propio récord.
The Paris final was delayed for 36 minutes following riots from Liverpool fans as well as harsh reactions from the local police which included pepper spray. As thousands of fans were waiting in crowded lines, another bunch decided to jump over the stadium fences. People did everything to attend the most important 90 minutes of the season.
Madrid outplayed their opponents in the fixture rerun of the 2018 final. The pace was slow, offering few interesting moments in the first half. The most relevant detail was the offside decision against Real Madrid which caused major debate. The VAR system treated the goal as a ricochet coming from Madrid’s final touch. This interpretation emphasises how the rules have now become more relative than ever.
During the second half, Liverpool were keen to get a leg up. However Vinicius Jr scored for Madrid (59′). This time the goal was good. For Ancelotti’s tactics of the night – it was more than enough.
Defence was key
Protecting the 1-0 was the absolute priority and Real made sure to keep themselves busy in the back. As the seesaw continued, the physical fitness of Klopp’s squad was very obvious. Had they made a turnaround, this would have been the biggest reason why. The Reds kept going for the next half an hour without major breaks, giving Curtois a run for his money.
Four minutes of stoppage time later – Real Madrid once again became European Champions; not allowing their fans to wait any longer for the outcome of this delayed final. This was no beauty of a match, but it got the job done.
Madrid’s record-extending run is now celebrated all over Europe with the players sharing the locker-room party on social media.
*Update: Luka Modric is staying in Madrid until 2023.
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