Real Madrid, the Kings of Europe - UEFA Champions League final review

Real Madrid Celebrate After Victory In The Champions League Final Against Liverpool
Kings of Europe!

26 May 2018 - a rather gloomy night in Kiev filled with the echoes and chants of people who had come to witness a mouth-watering battle. The formidable attacking menace of Liverpool against the defending champions Real Madrid.

For Liverpool, it was a dream run that could culminate on the night and be forever remembered as a night of heroic endeavour. For Real Madrid, it meant re-writing history and taking the crown three times in a row, a feat no team would even think of achieving in the modern era.

Though the fans around the world had braced themselves for potential heartbreak and the players had become ready to receive some battle scars, what ensued was beyond comprehension.

A night where the world witnessed tears, an impeccable moment of magic, and someone living his worst nightmare. It was all there on this great night, and below are just some pieces and memories from the epic encounter that took place in Kiev which crowned Los Blancos as Kings of Europe.


#5 A night of injuries and tears

UEFA Champions League'Real Madrid v Liverpool FC'
Mo Salah - teary night

It's always a shame when a player leaves the field early due to an injury. But it's almost overwhelming when that happens on one of the biggest nights of the player's career, and he's reduced to an anguished figure with tears trickling down his face.

And on the night, we had not one but two such men - one from each side. First Mohamed Salah, the man who could have ended the duopoly of Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi over the Ballon d'Or by winning the title for Liverpool. And only a little time had passed, before Carvajal cut a dejected figure as he walked down the tunnel wiping off tears.

Real Madrid v Liverpool - UEFA Champions League Final
Dani Carvajal - unfortunate injury

Carvajal who is a very essential part of Real was replaced by Nacho who did a good job defensively and did offer some assistance in attack as well. Although he couldn't completely replicate Carvajal, he did just enough so Real never really felt the loss of Carvajal.

It wasn't the same case with Salah though, as his replacement Adam Lallana could not come anywhere near the sky high standards set by the Egyptian this season. Being forced to play in a further up-field role than his usual preference didn't help Lallana either, and he didn't offer much on the night.

All in all, the night was somewhat ruined by the two injuries, and especially for Liverpool fans, as they will be left pondering what it could have been had Salah played the full match.

#4 Luka Modric is still the man

Real Madrid v Liverpool - UEFA Champions League Final
Modric - maestro!

Oh Luka! The Real playmaker lit up the Olympic stadium and spread his magic every time he touched the ball. From making crucial interceptions to bamboozling Henderson with a subtle change of direction, the tiny magician was a joy to watch all night long.

And it's almost impossible to believe that Modric is 32 years old after the tireless shift he put up in the final. He seemed to be everywhere! Tackles, Interceptions, you name it! And along with Kroos and Isco, he was fundamental in resisting the relentless and very lethal pressing tactics deployed by Klopp.

Modric did everything right on the night when it mattered most - from a very crucial block early on Salah's shot off a short free-kick, or tracking back to steal the ball from Lallana.

And it's not just some flashes of genius either, the statistics speaks volumes about the sheer brilliance on display as Modric had a staggering 94 percent successful passes in the match along with 4 dribbles which were the highest on the night.

Not only this, the Croatian also made 4 tackles, which was only 1 less than most tackles by any player on the night.

There is widespread speculation that Madrid are looking for a worthy successor for the play-making position currently occupied by Modric, but judging by the scintillating display on that night, Madrid may not have to worry about finding a replacement immediately.

Bale's great goal and the howler by Karius may have been the major talking points after the game, but anybody with an understanding of football will remember Luka's performance for years to come.

#3 Poor Karius

Real Madrid v Liverpool - UEFA Champions League Final
Karius - horrendous night

If there was a magic pill that would help you disappear off the face of this planet, Loris Karius would trade anything to get his hands on it. It's hard not to think what could have been had the German shot-stopper not rolled out a gift for Benzema, which the Frenchman embraced readily.

And it's certainly impossible to claim that letting Bale's shot from 30 yards slip into the net was like a bucket of chilled water on Liverpool's hopes to come back in the game.

The German did produce a couple of good saves, and it was in part his agile charge off the line that did just enough to put off Isco making him scoop the ball against the crossbar when he was put on goal.

Karius did acknowledge his errant display, and while he was visibly distraught, he still went to the stands occupied by the Liverpool fans and held his hands up in an apologetic gesture.

The great Liverpool supporters greeted him with applause and unconditional support. And that gesture alone from the Liverpool supporters commands immense respect from every football fan around the globe. But no matter how forgiving, the fans will never forget the blunder that foiled the chances of their team clinching club football's greatest glory.

#2 Gareth Bale, the unexpected hero

Real Madrid v Liverpool - UEFA Champions League Final
Sensational strike!

The Welshman may have just turned his Real Madrid career on its head. There were widespread speculations about who Zidane would choose for the final, this ended when he picked Isco over Gareth Bale in attack.

It might have had more to do with Zidane's choice of going with a diamond formation in the midfield than to simply pick Isco. But Real looked out of ideas in attack during the first half and could hardly create anything significant in the final third.

Then on came Gareth Bale, and within ten minutes of his introduction, scored one of the most memorable goals in the history of Champions League football. It was like a replay of what Ronaldo had done earlier in the competition against Juventus. And later, Bale put another one past Karius, albeit due to an error by the German.

Crowned MOTM, Bale was visibly happy with all the limelight he was receiving and deservedly so. And even in the post-match conference, he wasn't shy to point out he needs more game time.

And he might get that next season, even without having to go anywhere, especially now Cristiano Ronaldo is gone. For now, it looks like the Cardiff express will stay in Madrid.

#1 Los Blancos are the Kings of Europe

Real Madrid Celebrate After Victory In The Champions League Final Against Liverpool
Kings of Europe!

So much had been said about Real Madrid on every stage of the Champions League this season. Real Madrid's poor domestic form and their leaky defense being the main reasons contributing to the barrage of criticism Real faced.

Everybody counted them out at every stage of the competition. Many people argued that the European champions would be dumped out of the competition early as soon as Real drew PSG in the last 16 encounter, and to be honest, the chances of Real being able to resist the prolific attacking prowess of PSG looked bleak.

But Real survived and came out on top, people blamed the injury to Neymar and his inability to participate in the second leg as the reason.

Paris Saint-Germain v Real Madrid - UEFA Champions League Round of 16: Second Leg
PSG - put to the sword by Real

Then came Juventus in the quarterfinals, but they were demolished by the team from Madrid in the first leg. The second leg, was a different story and Juventus with all their might looked as if they will push Real Madrid out the door.

We all know what happened then, Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up in the 98th minute to convert a highly controversial penalty to give Real the victory. Again, people blamed the referee for awarding that penalty and sending off Buffon. But was that really the reason? Maybe.

Real Madrid v Bayern Muenchen - UEFA Champions League Semi Final Second Leg
Bayern - put to the sword by Real

And then came the semi-finals, where Real met the high-flying Germans who had run riot in Bundesliga and looked destined to win the coveted treble.

The Bavarians threw the kitchen sink at Real in the first leg but still ended up trailing by a goal. In the second leg, Real finished the job and made their way into a third consecutive final and their fourth in the last five years. And rest as you know, was last night.

Real Madrid Celebrate After Victory In The Champions League Final
Champions!

Like the three previous knockout rounds, the odds were seemingly stacked against the reigning European champions. People claimed the Real defense wouldn't be able to handle the phenomenal trio of Salah, Mane, and Firminho.

And it certainly looked like that in the initial stages of the game. Then Salah was forced to leave the field in tears due to a shoulder injury, which again gave the critics a point to harp on in the post-match reports.

The men in white fought like champions and won like champions. And the phrase "you make your own luck" has never been more justified as Real got lucky in the form of not one but two errors from the Liverpool goalkeeper. In the end, the champions claimed their third consecutive UEFA Champions League title, their 13th in total. And proved to the world that they are indeed the Kings of Europe.

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Edited by Anthony Akatugba Jr.