Liverpool sealed a fairytale end to the season in Madrid, as a 2-0 victory over Premier League rivals Tottenham secured victory in the Champions League final.
Tottenham 0-2 Liverpool
Champions League Final, Wanda Metropolitano
June 1, 2019
Goals
Salah pen 2′ (assist – Sissoko)
Origi 87′ (assist – Matip)
Just over a year after their letdown in Kyiv, the Reds went again as they emerged from the tunnel at the Wanda Metropolitano for another Champions League final.
In pursuit of the club’s sixth European Cup, Jurgen Klopp named his strongest possible side, with Roberto Firmino returning from a groin injury to lead the line.
Trent Alexander-Arnold became the youngest player to start in consecutive Champions League finals, while Jordan Henderson is only the fourth player to captain an English side in two finals in the history of the European Cup.
After a record-breaking domestic campaign, Liverpool took to the field determined to come out on top, and their experience clearly paid off.
- Firmino and Kane start as both sides go heavy in attack
- Salah opens scoring within two minutes after Sissoko handball
- Strange atmosphere sets backdrop for low-key final in Madrid
- Origi slams home second with minutes to play to clinch victory
- Liverpool win 2-0 to lift sixth European Cup in club’s history
After a minute’s silence for the late Jose Antonio Reyes, Liverpool got off to the best start possible as a handball from Moussa Sissoko led to a penalty which Mohamed Salah dispatched within two minutes.
Relieved of a measure of pressure, the Reds sat back as Spurs dominated possession but with little to show for it, and Alexander-Arnold flashed a long-range strike just wide in the next best chance.
A subdued atmosphere pervaded the stadium, likely due to a combination of the heat and the landscape of the game, though bursts of Allez, Allez, Allez broke through as Liverpool pushed forward.
Inspired by his fellow full-back, a faded pass from Joel Matip allowed Andy Robertson to drive forward unchallenged, and the Scot forced a save from Hugo Lloris with his own powerful effort.
Chances came few and far between for Tottenham, with Christian Eriksen blazing a shot high over the bar, and the half-time whistle came with Liverpool still in the lead.
Neither manager made a change but the tempo picked up after the break, with Sadio Mane thwarted by a sprawling Hugo Lloris from Robertson’s cross and Alexander-Arnold making a crucial block to deny Dele Alli.
Klopp had the first roll of the dice on the touchline, as two-goal semi-final hero Divock Origi came on to replace an out-of-sorts Firmino, with James Milner then taking the anonymous Gini Wijnaldum‘s place.
Milner found himself with a great chance to put the Reds 2-0 up soon after, but flashed his shot wide of the post after a layoff from Salah on the edge of the box.
Kieran Trippier, Danny Rose and Sissoko all struggled with injuries entering the final 20 minutes, and Mauricio Pochettino was forced to bring the latter off, while Alisson made two strong saves to keep his side ahead.
The Brazilian then dived brilliantly to keep out an Eriksen free-kick, with his contributions proving invaluable in Europe this campaign.
And the difference-maker at the other end in the last round, Origi, slammed home the second of the game minutes later to clinch the victory and secure Liverpool’s sixth European Cup!
TIA Man of the Match: Alisson
Referee: Damir Skomina (SLO)
Tottenham: Lloris; Trippier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose; Winks (Lucas 66′), Sissoko (Dier 74′), Eriksen; Alli (Llorente 82′), Son, Kane
Subs not used: Gazzaniga, Vorm, Sanchez, Foyth, Davies, Aurier, Walker-Peters, Wanyama, Lamela
Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Wijnaldum (Milner 62′); Salah, Mane (Gomez 90′), Firmino (Origi 58′)
Subs not used: Mignolet, Kelleher, Lovren, Moreno, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lallana, Shaqiri, Sturridge, Brewster
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