ALMIGHTY Welshman bags a brilliant double
GARETH BALE broke Liverpool’s hearts with a goal that will go down as the greatest in Champions League history.
The Welshman – summoned from the bench by Zinedine Zidane on the hour – needed just three minutes to conjure up a strike of breathtaking beauty.
It wrecked Jurgen Klopp’s dream of taking the European Cup back to Anfield.
Bale scored again seven minutes from time – but it was his brilliant overhead kick to give Madrid the lead for the second time in the game that will be talked about for years.
Marcelo’s cross from the left was looping behind Bale as he lurked close to the Liverpool penalty spot.
But he launched himself into an acrobatic scissors-kick that gave Loris Karius no hope as it arrowed into the top corner.
It was a goal to grace the occasion. Zidane’s volleyed winner for Madrid against Bayer Leverkusen in Glasgow 16 years ago is widely regarded as the best Champions League strike of all-time. Not any more. The Frenchman (right) shook his head in disbelief as he celebrated.
Bale will now go down in folklore as the man who brought the European title back to the Bernabeu for the third successive season.
Madrid deserved their triumph, but they were helped hugely by an injury to Mo Salah that ended the Egyptian’s night after 30 minutes.
And they were also given a huge hand by keeper Karius.
The German made a calamitous error that led to Karim Benzema’s opportunistic 50th-minute opener. And he blundered again when, late on, he allowed Bale’s swerving drive from 30 yards to slip through his fingers.
Sadio Mane dragged Liverpool level five minutes later, but the Reds were undone by a touch of Welsh wizardry.
Liverpool had a high-tempo start that has become Klopp’s hallmark and Madrid looked both rattled and ragged.
Salah led his team’s first attack inside the opening minute and it needed a timely tackle by Raphael Varane to snuff out Sadio Mane.
Then Madrid keeper Keylor Navas had to plunge at the feet of rampaging Trent AlexanderArnold to prevent the right-back from scoring.
Cristiano Ronaldo served notice of his menace by breaking down the right to lash a ferocious angled drive just over. But Alexander-Arnold was once again denied by Navas before the game turned cruelly against Klopp’s men. Sergio Ramos is a master of the dark arts. Only the Madrid skipper will know whether he intended to do Salah damage when he grappled with the Egyptian and dragged him down with a violent arm lock. Salah resumed after treatment, but soon knew his game was up.
It was a cruel way for the Footballer of the Year’s season to end and even Ronaldo went over to console him.
Adam Lallana came on in his place.
Madrid also had to make a change when Dani Carvajal succumbed to the knock he picked up in the warm-up and was replaced by Nacho.
Madrid thought they had scored when Ronaldo rose to meet Isco’s cross with a down-