Champions League 2018-19 Final: 3 reasons Tottenham Hotspur lost the trophy to Liverpool

#3 Brilliant game management by Liverpool

Klopp guides Liverpool to their sixth Champions League title.

Liverpool were outclassed last season in the final by a Real Madrid team that Jurgen Klopp described as “streetsmart”. Their victory proved that they learned their lessons from their humbling defeat at the hands of the most successful side in European history. Taking an early lead through a Mo Salah penalty, Liverpool managed the game to perfection and showed that they are a different side to that swashbuckling, reckless, and high-scoring Liverpool side of previous years. This is an efficient, smart, mentally-strong, and disciplined side that doesn’t crumble when subjected to intense pressure.

Not even their strongest performance, but it was enough to defeat Spurs which is all you need to know about this champion Liverpool team. They were compact, hard to break down, and cut out passing lanes in midfield thus pressurizing the center backs to spray the ball out wide before pressing in numbers again minimizing the passing options for the man in possession. The north London side did not disrupt their organization and suffered as their transition from back to front was lethargic and sluggish.

Klopp’s men finally put the game to bed in the closing minutes of normal time as substitute Origi made sure that there would no special comeback this time around by their English rivals. With this Champions League victory, the German ends his losing streak of six in cup finals and Real Madrid’s stranglehold on the trophy, thereby placing Liverpool only one place behind AC Milan in terms of Champions League victories.

Klopp has brought home the silverware that this prestigious club most definitely deserved after a fantastic season.