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GARETH BALE produced one of the greatest goals in the history of the Champions League to break Liverpool’s hearts last night.

The Wales superstar came off the bench to score a stunning goal with an overhead kick as Real Madrid won Europe’s top competition for the third year in a row.

It was a night when Liverpool were beaten by the sublime and the ridiculous.

Bale’s first goal was sublime and Real took the lead for the first time through a ridiculous mistake by Liverpool keeper Loris Karius, who gifted a goal for Karim Benzema with an ill-judged throw.

Karius’ nightmare continued when he fumbled another Bale drive into the net for Real’s third goal in the 83rd minute.

Sadio Mane equalised between those first two Real goals.

And on a frustrating night for the Merseysiders he later hit the post.

Zinedine Zidane went into the final bristling at suggestions that this match meant more to Liverpool.

That was based on this being the Kop outfit’s first final for 11 years and they had not won the trophy since 2005.

Real, in contrast, regularly reach the final – as if it was their right to be there – and this was their fourth in the last five seasons.

But Madrid manager Zidane said: “You can’t tell me that we have less hunger than our rivals in this final. That feeling doesn’t SHOCKER: Benzema leaves Karius embarrassed ROYAL BALE: The Welsh ace fires in his worldie exist at Real Madrid. We always fight to the end.”

And Zidane, whose first big call of the night was to start without Bale, saw his side immediately slot into their slick passing style.

But despite spells of Real possession, Liverpool were not overawed.

And that was despite Madrid having the far greater experience, as not one Liverpool player had made a Champions League final appearance before last night.

Both sides lived dangerously at the back and both were close to scoring in the space of three minutes.

First, Cristiano Ronaldo shot over after breaking down the right, when a pull-back to a team-mate might have been a better option.

Then, after Dani Carvajal had conceded a corner in careless fashion, Virgil van Dijk climbed above Real keeper Keylor Navas but headed over.

Liverpool then had a chance to take the lead in the 23rd minute when Roberto Firmino found himself in space but his shot on the turn was blocked by Marcelo. The danger was not over, though, for Madrid as Trent Alexander-Arnold followed up to hit a sweet strike which was superbly saved by Navas.

Liverpool then suffered a major blow when Mo Salah damaged his arm when wrestled to the ground in a tangle with Sergio Ramos.

Salah tried to continue but had to be substituted in the 30th minute and Liverpool’s 44-goal top scorer was in tears as he left the field.

Adam Lallana replaced him but Liverpool had lost the player they could least afford to see go off.

Madrid then lost a player of their own through injury –

Carvajal – six minutes later but that did not compare to Liverpool being deprived of Salah.

The defending champions thought they had taken the lead two minutes from half-time.

Karius parried a Ronaldo header and Karim Benzema knocked in the rebound.

But the goal was disallowed for offside – seemingly against Ronaldo.

Liverpool’s supporters outnumbered the Madrid supporters in Kiev and generally made the greater noise.

But the Real followers should have been celebrating a goal

early in the second half. Van Dijk gave the ball away and then a rebound off Lallana saw the ball drop invitingly to Isco, but he hit the bar when he should have scored.

But Real and their fans did not have to wait long for a goal as they took the lead in the 51st minute after an astonishing mistake by Karius.

The German tried to throw the ball out but Benzema was too close to him for that and the France striker simply had to stick out his leg to divert the ball into the net.

But Liverpool roared back to equalise only four minutes later when Mane (left) finished neatly from close range after Dejan Lovren had climbed well to head on a James Milner corner. Zidane then sent on Bale for Isco in the 61st minute and it took the Wales star only three minutes to make his mark in sensational style. Marcelo crossed from the left and Bale met the ball with an overhead kick with his left foot to rocket the ball into the net. Bale wrapped it up when his long-range strike somehow went in. Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard said: “You have to feel for the Liverpool players in general. They’ve been done by two individual mistakes. The Salah moment was pivotal too.” IN A FLAP: Karius fails to keep out the second Bale goal LIVERPOOL dominated early proceedings as Real Madrid sat deep in their half, not prepared to offer any space in behind for the devastating pace of Liverpool’s front three.

Keylor Navas was called into action twice but was equal to it while Cristiano Ronaldo fired a chance over.