VINI IS A REAL PAIN
Liverpool fall at the final hurdle as Brazilian starlet seals dramatic win
Liverpool tears flowed freely in Paris last night.
Jurgen Klopp’s men saw their bid to become European champs for a seventh time by Vinicius Junior’s second-half strike.
It was cruel on the Reds, who were the dominant team but finished yet another final without a goal thanks to a truly inspired goalkeeping display by Real’s Thibaut Courtois.
The showpiece occasion was delayed for 36 minutes as armed police turned on the pepper spray in a desperate attempt to keep order outside the Stade de France as UEFA’s ticket- checking fell into chaos.
A week after dramatically losing out in the Premier League title race, Liverpool went the same way as Manchester City, Chelsea and Paris St- Germain as Carlo Ancelotti’s well- oiled side claimed Madrid’s 14th European crown.
Unfortunately, this will be remembered as the pepper spray final. And there will be an investigation into the bedlam that prompted UEFA to delay the kick-off by 36 minutes.
But the reality was that those ticket- checking arrangements at the stadium were collapsing hours before police turned the tear gas on fans trying to get in.
Even Liverpool ’s team bus arrived late as it crawled through the madness.
Fabinho and Thiago Alcantara passed fitness tests to start, while Klopp opted to pair Ibramima Konate alongside Virgil van Dijk, clearly worried that the pace of Vinicius Junior would be too hot for Joel Matip to handle.
Konate’s ruthless early tackle on the Madrid winger had the German boss nodding his head in satisfaction.
Luis Diaz was preferred ahead of Diogo Jota to link up with Mo Salah and Sadio Mane up front.
More than two-thirds of the stadium was decked out in Liverpool red.
It took the Merseysiders time to settle. But when they did, they swaggered as Madrid hung on thanks mainly to the performance of Courtois.
The ex-Chelsea keeper’s sharp reactions prevented Salah from scoring after Trent AlexanderArnold had fed a low cross in to the Egyptian.
Belgium No.1 Courtois then saved from Thiago and Salah in quick succession.
When Alexander- Arnold blazed a decent chance over from Salah’s pass, the English side were well on top.
Courtois saved brilliantly again in the 21st minute, when Mane cut inside to unleash a low drive that the goalie touched on to a post with a fingertip before grasping the rebound.
Klopp’s team were hounding the Spaniards all over the pitch.
It did take a smart piece of defending from AlexanderArnold to prevent Vinicius Junior breaking clear.
Salah met Trent-Alexander’s cross with a meaty header but sent it straight at Courtois.
Madrid had made Manchester City, Chelsea and PSG pay for missed chances on their march to the final – along with Karim Benzema’s ruthless finishing.
The Frenchman had the ball in the back of the net again with his first opportunity of the game just before the break – only for a tight VAR decision to deny him after an agonising delay.
Madrid struggled to break free
from Liverpool’s unceasing press. Salah’s appeal for a penalty was turned down by French referee Clement Turpin after his shot struck David Alaba.
And then, in the 59th minute, Madrid were ahead against the run of play.
Federico Valverde’s cross-shot was flying well wide of the far post, but Vinicius Junior arrived in behind Alexander-Arnold to steer the ball home.
It was cruel on the Reds.
Klopp marched to the touchline in a bid to rouse his team – and Fabinho was booked for careering into Valverde.
Liverpool had won the FA Cup and Carabao Cup by beating Chelsea in in final shootouts. But they didn’t score a goal in four hours against the Londoners. Now they had to find the net and time was ticking away.
Courtois kept out Salah’s curling effort from 25 yards with another flying save before Klopp sent on Jota for Diaz.
But when the Portuguese winger looped a header towards Salah at the far post, there was Courtois to save again.
Madrid boss Ancelotti suffered at the hands of Liverpool’s spirit in Istanbul in 2005.
He lifted the European Cup twice as a player with Milan – and was chasing his third triumph as a coach having guided both the Italian club and Madrid to the ultimate club success.
Klopp rolled the dice again by sending on Naby Kieta and Roberto Firmino.
But Courtois refused to be beaten. His best save of the night was when he somehow diverted Salah’s angled blast over the bar.
Sometimes, results are written in the stars, it is just preordained – there is no other way to describe it.
That is why Zinedine Zidane was amongst the Real Madrid throng, that is why Rafael Nadal was in the same vicinity.
They came to watch Real Madrid do what Real Madrid do.
And no amount of credit should be deducted from their achievement, even though they were largely outplayed, even though fortune was also on their side when getting past Chelsea and Manchester City.
But Liverpool fans, whose occasion was soured from start to finish, should still stand tall.
Yes, they might have fallen short.short Yes, they might have come up 50 per cent shy of a Quadruple.
Yes, they were hit by a suckerpunch of a goal.
But there was no shame. And remember this, L iverpool supporters, the biggest triumph of the season was getting Klopp to sign that contract that will keep him at the club until at least 2026.
There will be more campaigns like this one, more ecstasy and agony, more thrills and spills. The adventure isn’t over.
But, hopefully, there will never be another off-the-field night like this one.
The winning glory should not be diluted by the chaos that preceded the match but the shambles outside the Stade de France should not be forgotten.