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Real Madrid defeated Liverpool 1-0 in the UEFA Champions League final at the Stade de France on Saturday, May 28. It was their 14th time winning the competition - an unprecedented record.
The two sides last met in the final in Kyiv in 2018, when Los Blancos comfortably defeated the Reds 3-1. A brace from Gareth Bale and a goal from Karim Benzema helped Real lift the "Big Ears" for the 13th time in their history.
Madrid defeated Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and Manchester City in the knockout stages to reach the final this year. Liverpool, on the other hand, saw off Inter Milan, Benfica, and Villarreal on their way to the final.
Real Madrid (13) and Liverpool (6) are ranked first and third on the list of teams with the most UCL titles. Considering their respective legacies and heritage, the game was bound to be a spectacle.
Liverpool controlled the tempo of the game in the first half as they enjoyed the bulk of possession. Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz made a sharp start and were involved in most of the Reds' attacking play. They both took a few shots between them but were denied by Thibaut Courtois.
The Belgian custodian was a shining light as he gave Real Madrid a solid base to build on with his heroics in goal. He made a lovely save to deny Sadio Mane a goal after he wriggled past two defenders to create space for a shot.
Karim Benzema appeared to have given Real Madrid the lead with their first shot on target late in the first half. The ball fell to him after a melee involving Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara, and Federico Valverde.
However, the Frenchman was narrowly offside and the goal was ruled out by the referee following a VAR check. The sides went into the break deadlocked at 0-0.
Real Madrid played with a bit more freedom and vigor after the restart as they pushed forward in numbers. They looked to exploit the space behind Liverpool's full-backs, who often ventured forward. Luka Modric and Toni Kroos did well to play passes into the gaps as they made an effort to open the scoring.
Vinicius Junior got on the scoresheet close to the hour-mark after tapping in at the back post to make it 1-0. Federico Valverde smashed a driven pass across the face of goal which was left unattended by the Reds' defense. It was an anti-climactic moment after several spells of dominance by Liverpool.
Thibaut Courtois continued to be a wall in Real Madrid's goal as he made some incredible saves to deny the Reds an equalizer. He made a great reflex save to deny Mohamed Salah late on in the game.
Liverpool seemed to drop off the pace as they looked deflated after putting in an immense amount of effort. Real Madrid did well to slow the game down and run down the clock as they edged closer to a win.
Real Madrid held on to secure a well-earned victory in the final. That said, let's take a look at the player ratings.
Liverpool Player Ratings
Alisson - 6.5/10
Alisson had a relatively slow game as Real Madrid took a limited number of shots. However, he failed to make a single save in the game.
Trent Alexander-Arnold - 7/10
He held a high position on the right flank to help his side press higher up the field. He played two accurate crosses and five accurate long balls but failed to create a clear chance for his side.
Ibrahima Konate - 7.5/10
Konate made a sharp start to the game and prevented Real Madrid from building early momentum. He won five of his nine duels and made one block and three tackles.
Virgil van Dijk - 6.5/10
Van Dijk looked slightly off-color as he made a few uncharacteristic decisions after a decent start to the game. He played one accurate long ball.
Andrew Robertson - 6.5/10
Robertson made a good start to the game. However, he was caught out of position a couple of times and it cost Liverpool dearly as Real Madrid capitalized to score in the second half. He won three of his five duels.
Jordan Henderson - 7/10
Henderson used his experience and positioned himself well as Liverpool advanced the ball into the final third with confidence. He won two of his three duels and attempted a shot which was off target.
Fabinho - 7/10
Fabinho looked solid in central midfield for Liverpool. However, he seemed to have lost his cool a little after Real took the lead and was booked. He won five of his seven duels and played three accurate long balls.
Thiago Alcantara - 7.5/10
Thiago passed the ball well and controlled midfield as his side enjoyed the majority of the possession. He played 70 accurate passes with a 95% accuracy, including five accurate long balls.
Mohamed Salah - 7.5/10
Salah made a bright start to the game and was heavily involved in the Reds' attacking play. He came close to scoring a couple of times but was denied. He had six shots on target in all and saw three shots blocked.
Sadio Mane - 7/10
Mane was a fox in the box as he used his quick footwork to create space for a powerful shot goalwards, which was saved by Courtois.
Luis Diaz - 6.5/10
Diaz was unable to get into the game as he would have liked following a strong start to the game. He was subbed off after 65 minutes after failing to make a contribution to bring Liverpool back into the game.
Substitutes
Diogo Jota - 6/10
Jota came on in the second half and missed one big chance to draw his side level with Real Madrid.
Roberto Firmino - 6.5/10
Firmino came on in the second half and took a shot which was blocked. He also played two key passes but failed to create an opening.
Naby Keita - 6/10
Keita came on midway through the second half but failed to make an impact on the game.
Real Madrid Player Ratings
Thibaut Courtois - 10/10
The Belgian made a fantastic start to the game, denying some early attempts from the Reds. He made a great save from a shot by Mane in the first half. He made another clutch save off Salah's shot in the second half. He made a total of nine saves in an incredible display.
Dani Carvajal - 7/10
Carvajal was solid at the back, using his body well to thwart Liverpool's advances. He blocked two shots, made four tackles, and two interceptions in a strong defensive display.
Eder Militao - 8/10
Militao made a solid start to the game and controlled proceedings in the box. He won all six of his duels, blocking two shots, and making four clearances.
David Alaba - 8/10
Alaba was the most composed defender in a well-organized Real Madrid backline that absorbed pressure well.
Ferland Mendy - 7/10
Mendy made a decent start to the game. He made three clearances and one interception, helping his side win.
Luka Modric - 7/10
Modric made a slow start to the contest by his standards. However, he found his way into the game as Real Madrid kept the ball for longer intervals. He won four of his six duels and played five accurate long balls.
Casemiro - 7.5/10
Casemiro was solid in the center of the park for Real Madrid as he used his physicality well. He won a remarkable 13 of his 16 duels and played four accurate long balls.
Toni Kroos - 7/10
Kroos was the chief distributor of the ball for Real Madrid as he passed the ball around with good accuracy. He played seven accurate long balls and won seven of his 11 duels.
Federico Valverde - 7/10
Valverde used his pace to cover a good area down the left wing for Real Madrid. He rifled the ball towards the back-post to provide an assist for his side's opener. He won five of his nine duels and attempted two shots, with one on target.
Karim Benzema - 7/10
Benzema dropped deep in typical fashion to facilitate the game for his teammates. He came close to opening the scoring late in the first half but the goal was ruled out for offside by VAR. He created one big chance for his side.
Vinicius Junior - 7/10
Vinicius made some darting runs behind Liverpool's defense but the ball was stopped from reaching him. He was rewarded for his efforts at the hour-mark as he tapped in Valverde's cross to give his side the lead.
Substitutes
Eduardo Camavinga, Dani Ceballos, & Rodrygo - N/A
The trio came on as late-game substitutes and did not do enough to warrant a rating.
