- Macdara Ferris
- Sat, Jun 01 2019
Macdara Ferris reports from Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid
Liverpool secured their sixth European Cup crown as Jurgen Klopp, who had previously lost six cup finals as a manager, led his team to victory to excorcise the dissapointment of the defeat in last year's final.
It wasn’t pretty in the Stadio Metropolitano in Madrid but certainly no Liverpool fan cared one bit as an early goal from Mo Salah and a late strike from Divock Origi did the damage to Spurs. The Reds scored early and were happy to hold onto that lead that they had earned within two minutes of the kick off. The win was bookended with a goal two minutes from time that was simply the icing on the cake.
These two teams had plenty of late drama in their semi-final second legs but it was early excitement that came our way in Saturday’s final. Not even half a minute had gone by and Liverpool earned a spot kick when Sadio Mane’s centre was prevented from heading further into the box by the outstreched arm of Moussa Sissoko.
Slovenian referee Damir Skomina didn’t need to resort to VAR like he had to help Manchester United get by PSG earlier in this competition. He pointed straight to the penalty spot. Mo Salah was the man who faced Hugo Lloris and the huge bank of white clad Spurs fans behind the goal but it didn’t faze Egyptian who drilled the ball home. His left footed effort had enough power to take it by the French goalkeeper and give the Reds a two minute lead.
Mane continued to torment the Tottenham defence in the opening period and on the other wing there was some typical Trent Alexander-Arnold attacking from full back that almost doubled Liverpool’s lead. On 17 minutes his low drilled right foot effort from outside the box fizzed off the turf but just by the Spurs goal.
By midway through the half though the pace of the game dropped, as both teams, but particularly Liverpool, began to sit off their opponents, possibly getting a breather as, even with the local time at 9.30pm, the temperature was still at 28 degrees. The long break three week break from their last league games was taking toll on the players too it seems. Attackers like Harry Kane and Firmino were returning to the starting line up in their respective teams for the first time since the Champions League semi-finals and Firminho wouldn’t last beyond the hour mark.
Andy Robertson got forward on the other Liverpool flank and whipped a rising shot from distance that Lloris, the Spurs ‘keeper captain, tipped over for their third corner of the opening half. Misplaced passes and other errors riddled the first half with Alisson having a fairly relaxed time as his Liverpool defence seemed to be in correct position to stop Spurs. A wild Christian Eriksen shot ballooned over the bar in first half injury time and that summed up the opening 45 minutes for the Lilywhites anyway, a half in which Kane was kept very quiet.
The pace picked up in the second half with Salah having a shot blocked down and Lloris doing well to smother a Robertson cross from the left. Spurs continued to snipe around the fringes with Son looking the most likely to unpick the Reds resolute defence.
Mane danced by Eriksen, involving Salah who laid it back to James Milner and the substitute went close but couldn’t get his low struck shot on target. Spurs attacking flair came too the fore on too few occasions.
With the clock reading ten minutes to go, Tottenham finally got their shooting boots on to test Alisson. Unlike in Kiev 12 months ago, this Liverpool goalkeeper got his body behind the ball to save first from Son and then from Lucas Moura – the man who had got those important late goals for Spurs earlier in the competition.
Alisson then stretched full length to keep an Eriksen free-kick out as the nerves began to fray. Spurs had managed to get late goals throughout this competition but it was Liverpool who found the net late on this time.
The Reds had come so close to winning the Premier League only to come up one point short despite losing only one league game. In this competition though the were not to be denied and substitute Divock Origi sealed the victory with a goal two minutes from time – his left foot shot finding the net in front of the delerious Liverpool fans behind that goal.
Referee: Damir Skomina (Slovenia)
Tottenham: Hugo Lloris; Kieran Trippier, Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen, Danny Rose; Moussa Sissoko (Erik Dier 74), Harry Winks (Lucas Moura 65); Dele Alli (Fernando Llorente 81), Christian Eriksen, Son Heung-min; Harry Kane.
Subs not used: Michel Worm, Paulo Gazzaniga, Davinson Sanchez, Victor Wanyama, Juan Foyth, Serge Aurier, Kyle Walker-Peters, Ben Davies, Erik Lamela.
Booked: None.
Liverpool: Alisson; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joel Matip, Virgil Van Dijk, Andy Robertson; Jordan Henderson, Roberto Fabinho, Georgino Wijnaldum (James Milner 62); Mo Salah, Firmino (Divock Origi 58), Sadio Mane (Joe Gomez 90).
Subs not used: Simon Mignolet, Caoimhin Kelleher, Alberto Moreno, Dejan Lovren, Adam Lallana, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Daniel Sturridge, Rhian Brewster, Xherdan Shaqiri.
Booked: None.
Referee: Damir Skomina (Slovenia).
Attendance: 63,000 (estimate).
Extratime.ie Player of the Match: Sadio Mane (Liverpool).
