Spanish giants, Real Madrid, defeated Liverpool in the Champions League final 1-0 on Saturday, capping an “unbelievable” season.
Carlo Ancelotti won his fourth title, securing a record 14 European titles for the Los Blancos.
Vinicius Junior scored the only goal in the 59th minute from a Federico Valverde assist after VAR denied Karim Benzema at the conclusion of the first half.
Belgian keeper, Thibaut Courtois produced a man of the match performance, denying Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane to keep the lead.
Real Madrid defeated PSG, Chelsea, and Manchester City in the knockout stages before defeating Liverpool in the final.
Below are some talking points from the match.
Thibaut Courtois
Following world-class saves off the boots of Mane, Salah, and other Liverpool players, the Belgian kept Real Madrid in the game. Courtois is the only player in Madrid’s Champions League lineup who has appeared in every game this season.
Carlo Ancelotti
Real Madrid’s Champions League form this season, especially in the knockout games against PSG, Chelsea, and Real Madrid, and the way Ancelotti has set up his team in games. He now has four UEFA Champions League titles, one more than Zinedine Zidane, who has three.
“I can’t believe it,” said manager Carlo Ancelotti to BT Sport. “We had a fantastic season. We did really well. It was a difficult game and we suffered a lot, more so in the first half. In the end, I think we deserved to win this competition.
“We’re really happy. What can I say? I can’t say more.
“I am a record man. I had luck to come here last year and have a fantastic season. A fantastic club, a really good squad with a lot of quality and mental character.”
Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior
Real Madrid’s front men have been in excellent form this season, leading the Galacticos to the league title. In the first half, Karim Benzema scored a goal that was called out, but Vinicius scored the game-winning goal. This season, the combination has been involved in almost 100 Real Madrid goals.
Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane
Salah and Mane were quite troublesome in Real Madrid’s territory through out the game, as has been the case all season whenever the Reds have faced any team. Throughout the game, the front players were a force to be reckoned with. Both players have contracts that will expire at the end of the season to work out.
VAR
The video assistance referee, which was deployed to assist referees on the field with judgments, ruled out what appeared to be a legitimate goal by Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema.
The goal was ruled out because Thiago’s final touch was not an intended pass from the Liverpool player, according to sources from the stadium.
