This final will be remembered for the performances of Gareth Bale and Loris Karius, for opposite reasons. Bale, after spending most of the season getting subjected to rumors that he’d be sold, almost singlehandedly won the match for Real Madrid. Karius, who’s also had to hear about his potential replacements, might have just played his last game for the Reds after some horrific errors.
For the third straight season, Real Madrid are champions of Europe. Check out a full recap of the Champions League final here.
Below, the game as it happened.
90’ — That Karius error sucked all the energy out of the Liverpool side of the building. Madrid coasting to their third-straight European Cup now.
83’ — GOAL! Real Madrid 3-1 Liverpool
Gareth Bale scores again, and Loris Karius commits another howler. Bale’s long-range strike had some power, but a top class keeper would have tipped it over the crossbar. Instead, Karius punches it into his own goal.
Karius AGAIN with the mistake in net!
This time he gifts Gareth Bale his second goal of the night, putting Real Madrid up 3-1. pic.twitter.com/iZEA7RnZMr
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) May 26, 2018
82’ — Karius makes another big save, and Madrid looks well in control. Bale set up the chance with a brilliant cross and Benzema got some power on his shot from 12 yards, but the Liverpool keeper was in a good position to make the stop.
74’ — Andrew Robertson just saved the game for Liverpool with the block of his life. Cristiano Ronaldo looked like he was clear through on goal and about to score from close range, but Robertson flies out of nowhere to get in front of the ball.
70’ — Sadio Mane hits the post! Just like they did after the first goal, Liverpool have responded to the second. This game doesn’t appear to be anywhere near over.
64’ — GOAL! Real Madrid 2-1 Liverpool
Just four minutes after coming on, Gareth Bale scored the goal of his career. Marcelo’s cross was hit a bit behind him, and Bale adjusted in midair to hit a perfect right-footed bicycle kick into the top corner. Maybe the best goal ever scored in a Champions League final. Utterly outrageous.
60’ — Karius just redeemed himself with an outrageous reaction save on Isco from close range to keep it 1-1.
And that’ll be Isco’s last action of the game, because he’s off for Gareth Bale.
55’ — GOAL! Real Madrid 1-1 Liverpool
Game on! Liverpool won a corner, then capitalized on it, with Sadio Mane finishing off the play. Roberto Firmino floated the ball in, Dejan Lovren knocked it down, and Mane reacted quickly enough to have a tap-in.
51’ — GOAL! Real Madrid 1-0 Liverpool
Oh no, what a terrible mistake by Loris Karius. He tries to start a Liverpool attack quickly with a throw, but instead throws the ball right into the outstretched leg of Karim Benzema. The Liverpool keeper complains to the referee, but there’s nothing to complain about. It’s a legal goal.
48’ — Huge miss for Madrid! Liverpool turned the ball over trying to play out of the back, but Isco hit the resulting shot off the crossbar.
46’ — And we’re back. No halftime substitutions. Liverpool had plenty to discuss in the locker room though, they really struggled after Salah went down.
HALFTIME — Real Madrid 0-0 Liverpool
How this game is scoreless, I have no idea. Both teams have had quality chances. If injuries to Mohamed Salah and Dani Carvajal hadn’t taken all of the momentum out of the match, perhaps someone would be on the scoreboard right now.
Highlight of the half: This GIF.
45’ — Nacho arrives late into the box to put a shot into the side netting. Finally, Madrid is in the game and looking capable of scoring.
43’ — Real Madrid thought they scored, but it’s offside! Loris Karius saved a header by Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema pounced on the rebound, scored, celebrated, then saw that the assistant’s flag was raised.
35’ — Oh no, another injury. Dani Carvajal is face down on the pitch after a backheel gone wrong. He’s crying too. Nacho comes in to replace him.
29’ — Uh oh, Salah has sat back down and appears to be crying. He looks like he knows he shouldn’t continue playing. Adam Lallana is coming on to replace him.
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26’ — Salah is holding his right shoulder after getting yanked down by that arm by Sergio Ramos. He’s getting checked out by the Liverpool training staff, but it’s hard to see him coming out of the match.
23’ — Two huge chances for Liverpool! Milner crossed for Firmino, who struggled to get a shot off, and eventually had his effort blocked. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s follow-up was on target, though, and Navas made an excellent save.
18’ — Keylor Navas absolutely flapped at a corner kick, getting nowhere near the ball, but luckily for him, Virgil van Dijk missed a difficult header. If the ball was served in a couple of inches lower, Liverpool probably would have taken the lead.
15’ — Finally, signs of life from Madrid! They surged forward off a turnover by Firmino, but Ronaldo’s shot from 12 yards was blasted over the bar.
14’ — Still all Liverpool. Mane and Salah both have close-range shots blocked. The Reds have five shots to Madrid’s one, which was a hopeful long-range effort by Marcelo.
7’ — Roberto Firmino played an excellent through ball to Sadio Mane, but Raphäel Varane made a better clearance. Madrid can’t really get out of their own half at the moment.
5’ — Liverpool win a free kick on the left wing off a bad turnover by... Cristiano Ronaldo? He took a bad touch and had the ball taken from him by Dejan Lovren, eventually putting Marcelo in a position where he had to hack down Salah. Nothing comes of it, but it’s not a good look for Madrid.
2’ — This game might get wild. It didn’t take long for Mohamed Salah to get the ball into the middle for Sadio Mane, though Real Madrid cleared.
1’ — Kickoff! After some bops from Dua Lipa and an extra-dramatic rendition of the Champions League anthem, Liverpool and Real Madrid have finally taken the pitch.
Keep an eye on the wings during the opening minutes, with Los Merengues playing a narrow formation and the Reds looking to attack through their wingers.
Both teams’ lineups are entirely without surprises. Managers Jürgen Klopp and Zinedine Zidane have decided to trust the first choice teams that got Liverpool and Real Madrid to this point, rather than try to engage in a chess match.
Liverpool starting XI (4-3-3): Loris Karius; Andrew Robertson, Virgil van Djik, Dejan Lovren, Trent Alexander-Arnold; Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Georgino Wijnaldum; Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah
Real Madrid starting XI (4-4-2 diamond): Keylor Navas; Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, Raphäel Varane, Dani Carvajal; Casemiro, Luka Modrić, Toni Kroos, Isco; Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema
The Champions League final is one of the most-anticipated days in the calendar every year. The two top teams in Europe going head to head is always a must-watch affair, and this year is no different — Real Madrid are going for an incredible third straight Champions League title and fourth in five years, while Liverpool are taking aim at a return to European glory with their first Champions League title since 2005.
Real Madrid’s path through the group stage and knockout rounds wasn’t always an easy one, with several much closer calls than their fans would have liked. But they got the goals they needed when they needed them most, with the majority coming from Cristiano Ronaldo, and they’re in a position to once more take the European crown. It would be a monumental achievement for them to accomplish, one that few thought was possible in the modern era of the sport.
Meanwhile Liverpool have emerged from a deep dark spell in their history, having won the Champions League in 2005 and lost in the final in 2007, then falling well off the path of the elite afterwards. Jurgen Klopp has been working his magic in a big way, though, and his fearsome attacking trident of Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino, and Sadio Mane can and have scored on anyone in a jaw-dropping path of destruction to reach the final.
This is set up to be a massive, exciting final match. These are two teams with great attacks capable of throwing absolute haymakers at each other. The key is going to be which of their midfields and defenses can avoid making crucial errors -- which is something that both teams have struggled with at times, especially during their good-but-not-quite-good-enough league campaigns. This will be a match played on a razor’s edge, and neither team will be safe at any time.
Don’t blink.
Match Date/Time: Saturday, 2:45 p.m. ET, 9:45 p.m. local
Venue: NSK Olimpiyskiy, Kyiv, Ukraine
TV: Fox (U.S. - English), ESPN Deportes (U.S. - Spanish), beIN Sports Spain, TV3, Antena 3, Movistar+ (Spain), BT Sport 2 (U.K.)
Online: Fox Soccer Match Pass, ESPN Deportes+ (U.S.), beIN Sports Connect España (Spain), BT Sport Live (U.K.)
Make friends: Check out Managing Madrid for more Real Madrid coverage, and head over to The Liverpool Offside for more on Liverpool.
Listings for more countries can be found at LiveSoccerTV.
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