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—Jurgen Klopp’s side made up for their defeat in last year’s final against Real Madrid.
Champions League: Liverpool beat Tottenham 2-0 in dull final to lift their sixth European trophy
Liverpool are UCL champions
Mohamed Salah scored one of the fastest ever goals in a Champions League final and Divock Origi struck late as Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in Madrid on Saturday and won the trophy for the sixth time.
Less than two minutes had been played when Salah smashed in his spot-kick after Moussa Sissoko had been penalised for handball in the area.
It was a disappointing final, it never truly got going after the early goal, but Liverpool will not care, as they saw Alisson Becker make several confident saves in the latter stages before substitute Origi drilled in the killer second in the 87th minute.
That led to an explosion of joy from their supporters inside the Metropolitano Stadium as Jurgen Klopp’s side made up for their defeat in last year’s final against Real Madrid and the deflation of missing out on the Premier League title to Manchester City.
Salah has his redemption after injury ruined his night against Real in Kiev, and the revered Klopp has his first trophy as Liverpool manager, three and a half years on from his arrival at the club. The German ends a run of six straight defeats in finals.
More importantly, Liverpool have their sixth European Cup, further cementing their status as one of football’s most storied clubs.
They now have more than Barcelona or Bayern Munich, and twice as many as their great rivals Manchester United.
Perhaps the occasion was just too much for Tottenham in their first ever appearance in the Champions League final. Beating Liverpool was always going to be a big ask, and they have now lost all three meetings with these opponents this season, winning just one of their last 15 encounters.
Mauricio Pochettino’s decision to start Harry Kane after nearly two months out did not pay off, and he is still looking for his first trophy after five years in charge.
Nevertheless, if they can keep him, and with the impetus from the move to their new stadium, maybe they will be back on such a stage before long.
That they were here at all was remarkable, Lucas Moura’s sensational hat-trick that dumped out Ajax in the semi-finals capping a memorable Champions League season all round.
The stage was set for this match, only the second all-English final, but after all the hype and the stories of fans paying thousands for tickets for a game they simply could not miss, this was a strangely subdued affair between the two goals.
- Kane gamble backfires -
Perhaps the stakes were simply too high, or perhaps the three-week break since the end of the Premier League season was to blame.
Most likely the suffocating Madrid heat impacted on the players and prevented this from being like a typical Premier League clash.
However, it might also have been a result of the opening goal coming so early, badly affecting Tottenham’s confidence.
Pochettino had opted to start Kane after an ankle injury, meaning Lucas was on the bench. Kane hardly touched the ball.
Eight members of Liverpool’s team also started last season’s final, when Salah went off injured and in tears in the first half.
This time Liverpool were the ones celebrating after a whirlwind start, Slovenian referee Damir Skomina pointing to the spot inside 25 seconds when Sissoko blocked Sadio Mane’s cross with his arm.
Salah confidently blasted home the penalty for the second-fastest goal ever scored in the final of the modern Champions League.
The only faster effort was Paolo Maldini’s effort for AC Milan against Liverpool in Istanbul in 2005, when the Anfield side famously won on penalties.
Spurs just did not get going, and there was none of the frenzied pressing and attacking associated with Klopp’s side, although Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson both came close in the first half.
Pochettino’s team did improve after the break, but Virgil van Dijk was immense for Liverpool and there was no way past Alisson, with the Brazilian saving well from Son Heung-min and Christian Eriksen late on.
It was left to Origi, one of the heroes of the stunning semi-final win over Barcelona, to wrap it up with three minutes left as he swept home inside the box to end any doubt.
Reds win UCL for 6th time
The Champions League trophy once again resides at Anfield. The Reds lift the trophy for the sixth time, the first since 2005. Mohamed Salah and Divock Origi put it away from Tottenham.
The loss sees Tottenham's Cinderella run fall just a game short of the ultimate European club glory, but it put Spurs on the map as a contender in all competitions for years to come.
Three takeaways from the match:
1. Reds benefit from early call but are worthy winners
It took just 23 seconds for this one to get heated thanks to a handball from Moussa Sissoko, who saw the ball hit him near the armpit before touching his hand. The referee called the penalty kick.
It doesn't get much more controversial than that in the early going, as any penalty would be. Sure, it hits his hand, but that is after it hits the core of his body. I don't think that is a handball, as it didn't hit his hand first and was far from intentional or him trying to make himself bigger. The Reds took advantage, and the rest is history, but it feels harsh.
2. Harry Kane played, but it was hardly noticeable
Kane returned from injury in what was expected to be a big boost for this team, but Mauricio Pochettino will be questioned as to if he should have played him. He wasn't his sharpest and didn't have a whole lot of chances, but he did had some solid build-up play. Tottenham actually outshot Liverpool on the night.
It's easy to say that they could have done better without him, but they needed Kane in this game to have a realistic shot. Spurs gave it their all, and there was little more they could do against a Liverpool defense that played cautiously and took care of business.
3. Jurgen Klopp completes promise
When Jurgen Klopp signed with Liverpool four years ago, he said he expected this team to have a title by his fourth season. But after losses in the Champions League final last year and both the Europa League and League Cup in years prior, the pressure was on here to deliver, and the Reds did just that. It wasn't an attacking outburst but it was a showing for the Reds that has characterized their season -- strong defensively and taking chances in the final third. They did it against Barcelona in the semifinals, they did it all year long in the Premier League and then on the biggest stage, they take two chances to win the title and produce the most memorable day in their careers.
Klopp saw the potential to revive Liverpool, and he did just that by lifting them to the summit.
Player ratings
Tottenham: Lloris (6), Trippier (6), Alderweireld (7), Vertonghen (7), Rose (6), Winks (7), Sissoko (5), Alli (4), Eriksen (6), Son (6), Kane (4)
Subs: Moura (5), Dier (5), Llorente (NA)
Liverpool: Alisson (8), Alexander-Arnold (7), Matip (7), Van Dijk (8), Robertson (8), Fabinho (7), Wijnaldum (6), Henderson (7), Salah (7), Firmino (4), Mane (7)
Subs: Origi (7), Milner (7), Gomez (NA)
Man of the match: Alisson
Opta Statistics
1. Liverpool have won their sixth Champions League/European Cup trophy - twice as many as any other English team has won (Man Utd, 3).
2. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp ended a run of six consecutive unsuccessful finals in major competitions, since winning the DFB-Pokal with Borussia Dortmund in 2012.
3. Liverpool (35.4 per cent) have become the first side to win the Champions League final despite having less possession than the opposition since Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan beat Bayern Munich in 2010; a final which was also played in Madrid.
4. This was the first ever Champions League final without a single card shown.
5. Liverpool's Mohamed Salah became the fifth different African player to score in a Champions League/European Cup final, after Rabah Madjer, Samuel Eto'o, Didier Drogba and Sadio Mane.
6. Salah's opener for Liverpool was the second fastest goal in a Champions League final, only behind Paolo Maldini (00:50) for AC Milan versus Liverpool in 2005.
—Jurgen Klopp’s side made up for their defeat in last year’s final against Real Madrid.
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| Reds win UCL for 6th time |
Liverpool are UCL champions
Mohamed Salah scored one of the fastest ever goals in a Champions League final and Divock Origi struck late as Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in Madrid on Saturday and won the trophy for the sixth time.
Less than two minutes had been played when Salah smashed in his spot-kick after Moussa Sissoko had been penalised for handball in the area.
It was a disappointing final, it never truly got going after the early goal, but Liverpool will not care, as they saw Alisson Becker make several confident saves in the latter stages before substitute Origi drilled in the killer second in the 87th minute.
That led to an explosion of joy from their supporters inside the Metropolitano Stadium as Jurgen Klopp’s side made up for their defeat in last year’s final against Real Madrid and the deflation of missing out on the Premier League title to Manchester City.
Salah has his redemption after injury ruined his night against Real in Kiev, and the revered Klopp has his first trophy as Liverpool manager, three and a half years on from his arrival at the club. The German ends a run of six straight defeats in finals.
More importantly, Liverpool have their sixth European Cup, further cementing their status as one of football’s most storied clubs.
They now have more than Barcelona or Bayern Munich, and twice as many as their great rivals Manchester United.
Perhaps the occasion was just too much for Tottenham in their first ever appearance in the Champions League final. Beating Liverpool was always going to be a big ask, and they have now lost all three meetings with these opponents this season, winning just one of their last 15 encounters.
Mauricio Pochettino’s decision to start Harry Kane after nearly two months out did not pay off, and he is still looking for his first trophy after five years in charge.
Nevertheless, if they can keep him, and with the impetus from the move to their new stadium, maybe they will be back on such a stage before long.
That they were here at all was remarkable, Lucas Moura’s sensational hat-trick that dumped out Ajax in the semi-finals capping a memorable Champions League season all round.
The stage was set for this match, only the second all-English final, but after all the hype and the stories of fans paying thousands for tickets for a game they simply could not miss, this was a strangely subdued affair between the two goals.
- Kane gamble backfires -
Perhaps the stakes were simply too high, or perhaps the three-week break since the end of the Premier League season was to blame.
Most likely the suffocating Madrid heat impacted on the players and prevented this from being like a typical Premier League clash.
However, it might also have been a result of the opening goal coming so early, badly affecting Tottenham’s confidence.
Pochettino had opted to start Kane after an ankle injury, meaning Lucas was on the bench. Kane hardly touched the ball.
Eight members of Liverpool’s team also started last season’s final, when Salah went off injured and in tears in the first half.
Salah confidently blasted home the penalty for the second-fastest goal ever scored in the final of the modern Champions League.
The only faster effort was Paolo Maldini’s effort for AC Milan against Liverpool in Istanbul in 2005, when the Anfield side famously won on penalties.
Spurs just did not get going, and there was none of the frenzied pressing and attacking associated with Klopp’s side, although Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson both came close in the first half.
Pochettino’s team did improve after the break, but Virgil van Dijk was immense for Liverpool and there was no way past Alisson, with the Brazilian saving well from Son Heung-min and Christian Eriksen late on.
It was left to Origi, one of the heroes of the stunning semi-final win over Barcelona, to wrap it up with three minutes left as he swept home inside the box to end any doubt.
Reds win UCL for 6th time
The Champions League trophy once again resides at Anfield. The Reds lift the trophy for the sixth time, the first since 2005. Mohamed Salah and Divock Origi put it away from Tottenham.
The loss sees Tottenham's Cinderella run fall just a game short of the ultimate European club glory, but it put Spurs on the map as a contender in all competitions for years to come.
Three takeaways from the match:
1. Reds benefit from early call but are worthy winners
It took just 23 seconds for this one to get heated thanks to a handball from Moussa Sissoko, who saw the ball hit him near the armpit before touching his hand. The referee called the penalty kick.
It doesn't get much more controversial than that in the early going, as any penalty would be. Sure, it hits his hand, but that is after it hits the core of his body. I don't think that is a handball, as it didn't hit his hand first and was far from intentional or him trying to make himself bigger. The Reds took advantage, and the rest is history, but it feels harsh.
2. Harry Kane played, but it was hardly noticeable
Kane returned from injury in what was expected to be a big boost for this team, but Mauricio Pochettino will be questioned as to if he should have played him. He wasn't his sharpest and didn't have a whole lot of chances, but he did had some solid build-up play. Tottenham actually outshot Liverpool on the night.
It's easy to say that they could have done better without him, but they needed Kane in this game to have a realistic shot. Spurs gave it their all, and there was little more they could do against a Liverpool defense that played cautiously and took care of business.
3. Jurgen Klopp completes promise
When Jurgen Klopp signed with Liverpool four years ago, he said he expected this team to have a title by his fourth season. But after losses in the Champions League final last year and both the Europa League and League Cup in years prior, the pressure was on here to deliver, and the Reds did just that. It wasn't an attacking outburst but it was a showing for the Reds that has characterized their season -- strong defensively and taking chances in the final third. They did it against Barcelona in the semifinals, they did it all year long in the Premier League and then on the biggest stage, they take two chances to win the title and produce the most memorable day in their careers.
Klopp saw the potential to revive Liverpool, and he did just that by lifting them to the summit.
Player ratings
Tottenham: Lloris (6), Trippier (6), Alderweireld (7), Vertonghen (7), Rose (6), Winks (7), Sissoko (5), Alli (4), Eriksen (6), Son (6), Kane (4)
Subs: Moura (5), Dier (5), Llorente (NA)
Liverpool: Alisson (8), Alexander-Arnold (7), Matip (7), Van Dijk (8), Robertson (8), Fabinho (7), Wijnaldum (6), Henderson (7), Salah (7), Firmino (4), Mane (7)
Subs: Origi (7), Milner (7), Gomez (NA)
Man of the match: Alisson
Opta Statistics
1. Liverpool have won their sixth Champions League/European Cup trophy - twice as many as any other English team has won (Man Utd, 3).
2. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp ended a run of six consecutive unsuccessful finals in major competitions, since winning the DFB-Pokal with Borussia Dortmund in 2012.
3. Liverpool (35.4 per cent) have become the first side to win the Champions League final despite having less possession than the opposition since Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan beat Bayern Munich in 2010; a final which was also played in Madrid.
4. This was the first ever Champions League final without a single card shown.
5. Liverpool's Mohamed Salah became the fifth different African player to score in a Champions League/European Cup final, after Rabah Madjer, Samuel Eto'o, Didier Drogba and Sadio Mane.
6. Salah's opener for Liverpool was the second fastest goal in a Champions League final, only behind Paolo Maldini (00:50) for AC Milan versus Liverpool in 2005.
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