Hi fellow Steemians!
Due to my location, I couldn't watch the Champions League Final live and had to watch it recorded but boy was it worth it.
Let's go through some key points!
Karius... Good bye
The story of Liverpool's goalkeepers was a bit of a mystery to me. Neither Mignolet nor Karius showed the needed ability infront of the goal in the past two seasons but nonetheless, Klopp chose Karius in recent matches and indeed in the final.
The first 30 minutes or so was fantastic. I was really surprised by how calm he was. But then, what do you know. He makes an amateur mistake which lead to Benzema's goal and while he could only watch Bale's first goal, the second one was another shocking mistake. I'll be surprised if he stays at Liverpool for next season and if he does (and is still the first choice keeper) then I'm sure he'll be hearing a lot of boos.
Bale the man in form
I was surprised to not see Bale in the starting lineup. I expected the BBC lineup to feature from the start but that wasn't the case with Zidane preferring to have more depth in midfield with Isco. In the second half, Bale came on and man did he up the game.
His bicycle kick goal will be remembered as one of the greatest goals in the Champions League Final history, along with Zidane's strike. His second goal was very fortunate to go in, but he deserves massive credit. I still remember him scoring in the Champions League Final against Atletico Madrid and it shows that Bale is still one of the best players in the world, playing his part in big games. If only he can keep fit and not get injured.
Klopp's tactics on point, but that's not enough
I thought Klopp had a much better strategy compared to Zidane. Yet, the class of the Real Madrid players on the pitch was too much to overcome. Especially with Salah coming off injured, the players could not adapt to the change. In a way, it is Klopp's fault that he didn't make his players adapt to Lallana coming on. I thought he should have changed to a 4-4-2 and played a defensive counter-attacking football but I don't think that was the case. It was so unfortunate for him since it's the second time he's lost in the Champions League Final. He'll be gutted.
Benzema, the luckiest guy in the footballing world
Benzema has been dreadful this season. I've seen him miss sitters which he should have scored comfortably. He's lucky Zidane is the manager of Real Madrid because anyone else on that seat would have benched him long ago. Today, while he did play quite well, it showed again that Benzema is the luckiest guy in the footballing world with his goal.
Unforeseen injuries
Salah, the main man for Liverpool, came off injured in the first half. In my opinion, Liverpool lost their momentum after that and the game changed completely. While I don't think Ramos was intentional in causing Salah's injury, both should have been more careful and it was wrong for Ramos to pull on Salah's arm. I just hope Salah won't miss the World Cup and wish him the best. I also hope Ramos the best because there are going to be some really pissed off people coming after him.
Also to note is Carvajal's injury. He suffered from hamstring injury shortly after Salah came off. I'll be honest, I don't think he played very well and was lucky to have Ramos and Varane who covered for him well every time. But still, he's a very reliable player and it's unfortunate to see him limp off. I hope he will recover before the World Cup.
It's never good to see players having to exit the Final of any competition due to injury. I wish both players the best.
Unfortunate for Ronaldo
It was unfortunate to see Ronaldo missing from a lot of the action. Liverpool players surrounded him and gave him no space. For a calibre of Ronaldo, he should have overcome such pressure but he couldn't quite get into the game. Still, he'll be happy with 3 consecutive Champions League titles.
Best player
Sergio Ramos - I thought he was a solid rock in the back. Could do nothing about Mane's goal but overall, he was a beast.
Honorable mentions
Trent Alexander-Arnold - For a 19 year old to play that well in a Champions League Final, it really makes me excited to think how good he'll be in 5-10 years. He was unfortunate to be on the losing side and made small mistakes in the latter stages of the game.
Gareth Bale - Amazing goals. Simply amazing talent. Should have started but only played 30 minutes. If he scored a hat-trick, he would have been my MoM.
Sadio Mane - His pace was a headache for Real Madrid the whole game. Rewarded with a goal, but wasn't a game changer.
Worst player
Karius - No doubt.
Dishonorable mentions
Carvajal - was sloppy in possessions from the start. Couldn't handle the pace of Mane. Unfortunate to go off injured.
Key points
- Liverpool, sell Karius now and get an experienced and dependable goalkeeper.
- Benzema lives another day
- Bale's still got it
- Champion's League DNA is in Real Madrid
- Liverpool can come back stronger
Image source: DW