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93 minutes was all Real Madrid needed to dismantle Liverpool and win the UEFA Champions League final 3-1 in Kyiv on Saturday. Karim Benzema opened the scoring before a brace from Gareth Bale sealed the deal and Real Madrid's 13th Champions League title.
Sadio Mane scored a consolation goal but Liverpool never really looked to be in the contest following Mohamed Salah's injury. Loris Karius' mistakes in the second half also cost the Reds dearly as Real Madrid completed the 'three-peat'.
Here are the major talking points from the game.
#1 Liverpool disrupt Real Madrid with intense press in first half
As soon as the game kicked off, one thing was certain. Liverpool were going to play with the pedal to the metal.
Real Madrid simply failed to get going at the start of the first half as the Reds pressed hard. They swarmed Real's players when they had the ball and targeted them when they tried to push the ball out wide.
While Luka Modric was able to escape the press, Toni Kroos struggled in the initial stages. The German was unable to exert control and even misplaced a couple of crucial passes when Real could have threatened Liverpool.
The press was working very well for Liverpool with their full-backs pushing forward to stretch the defence and provide them with extra bodies in attack. Trent Alexander-Arnold even had a shot on target that was snuffed out well by Keylor Navas.
Salah was marked tightly by Real's defence and so he was trying to play provider for Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino who made themselves very busy in the final third.
#2 Injuries to Salah and Carvajal subdue first-half intensity
Liverpool's worst nightmare came to pass when at the half-hour mark Jurgen Klopp was forced to substitute Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian was in tears as he came off the pitch clutching his shoulder.
A battle for the ball with Real defender and captain Sergio Ramos had seen the Spanish defender lock arms with Salah before bringing him down. Hard.
Salah landed directly on his left shoulder and, despite his early intention to carry on, the pain was unbearable and Klopp had to throw on Adam Lallana as even Cristiano Ronaldo comforted Salah when he came off.
Just five minutes later, Dani Carvajal went down with what looked like a muscle injury after attempting a back-heeled pass for Ronaldo (who did not make the run). The right-back was also reduced to tears as Nacho came on for the Spaniard.
The injuries beg the question whether the two players will be fit for the World Cup which kicks off in less than three weeks. Salah led Egypt to the World Cup and it would be a shame were he to miss it while Spain may have to call up a back up (Hector Bellerin, maybe?) if Carvajal's bad luck with injuries continues.
#3 Gareth Bale should have started instead of Isco
When Zidane announced his lineup, it was clear that he wasn't going to deploy a 4-3-3. Gareth Bale was benched and Isco started in his place in what has been their customary 4-1-2-1-2 formation this season with the Spaniard playing on the tip of a midfield diamond.
However, Isco never really managed to make an impact in attack - especially in the first half. He rarely had time on the ball and made himself useful only when he dropped deep to help Real escape Liverpool's press by giving his side a numerical advantage in midfield.
His only meaningful contribution came in the second half when he pounced on a Liverpool error that saw his snap-shot come off the crossbar. Zidane hooked him off in the 60th minute as Bale came on in his place.
The Welshman needed less than three minutes to make an impact. A player for the big occasion, Bale scored one of the greatest goals in Champions League finals with a bicycle kick from Marcelo's cross to give Real the lead.
It may not rival Ronaldo's goal against Juventus but it is its impact that makes it so memorable. Zidane, who has scored a stunner for Real in a final himself, had the exact same reaction to Bale's goal as he did for Ronaldo's in Turin.
He did not stop there. He would later strike the ball from 30 yards out after Liverpool failed to close him down and score after Karius failed to stop the shot.
How many times has Bale come good in a final for Real? Don't bother keeping a count.
#4 A tale of two goalkeepers - Navas and Karius
If there is one man who outshone every player in a white shirt on the pitch in the first half, it was Keylor Navas. The goalkeeper was in fine form and was quite the difference between Real going down 1-0 or 2-0 by half-time.
HIs best save of the game came when he stopped dead Trent Alexander-Arnold's stinging shot with a fine block. The shot seemed destined for the bottom corner when the full-back took his shot through a crowd of players but Navas dropped to the deck and managed to control the ball after stopping it.
Navas even played the role of a sweeper-keeper to perfection when Liverpool created an opening through Mane. The Costa Rican goalkeeper sprinted off his line to make the tackle and clearance to prevent the Reds from taking the lead. If he had stayed on his line, Liverpool would have definitely opened the scoring.
On the other end, though, Loris Karius had a night to forget with two errors leading to goals. The first goal saw Karim Benzema simply stick a foot out when Karius tried to pass the ball to a teammate and that started Liverpool's slide.
Although Liverpool did quickly equalise through a set-piece, Bale gave Real the lead again. Liverpool were still in it until Bale's second goal - and Karius' second mistake. A 30-yard drive saw Karius spill the ball into his own net.
It was an unforgivable error on a stage such as a Champions League final. If the Anfield side are to challenge for honours, a world-class goalkeeper may be the need of the hour.
#5 Real Madrid are simply unstoppable in big games
Back-to-back wins in the Champions League era had never been achieved. Real accomplished it last year. A three-peat in the Champions League era had never been achieved. Zinedine Zidane's squad has done it again.
This was no fluke. Although they have had some luck going their way, Real now look like a side that make their own luck.
To defeat three league champions - PSG, Juventus, and Bayern Munich - before reaching the final and winning despite Liverpool's early domination suggests Real can step it up when it really matters.
Bob Paisley (Liverpool) and Carlo Ancelotti (AC Milan and Real Madrid) were the only two managers to win the European trophy three times as managers until tonight. Zidane has now won it every season and he has only been the manager for just two-and-a-half years.
Sadly, the same cannot be said of Jurgen Klopp. The German boss is one of the unluckiest managers in finals - especially European finals.
Four European titles in five years. 13 Champions League titles in all. There is no doubt that Real are made for this tournament and they always step up when it counts the most.
