Real Madrid in the sky. There are already eight Champions Leagues, which added to the six European Cups, add up to 14 titles of the highest continental competition and confirm him as the true King of Europe. It was enough for him to sustain Liverpool’s electricity and take advantage of his second chance to score, after the first was annulled for offside, to overcome an incredulous rival, who crashed against Courtois and his own inability.
Up to 23 shots, 12 between sticks, from Liverpool, against only two on goal (eight in total) from Madrid. Chances were red, confirmation was white. The finals are not played, they are won and Madrid, the greatest specialist in these conflicts, made that prognosis a good one. He survived to the limit for three consecutive qualifiers against PSG, Chelsea and Manchester City and when he reached the final he understood that it was non-negotiable to compete without leaving room for flourishes.
Liverpool, who a month ago longed to complete a perfect season by winning four titles, closed the course desolate. Overcome by the power of Manchester City in the Premier and rendered evident in the Champions League final, in which it was useless to dominate, finish off and overwhelm a rival in which Courtois was a giant.
Madrid is European champion and already has five titles in the last nine seasons. He achieved it by overcoming the group stage with solvency, where he suffered an embarrassing (and forgotten) defeat at the Bernabéu against the modest Sheriff and from then on he subscribed to miracles. He feared elimination against PSG until Benzema’s hat-trick appeared, he bordered on disaster against a Chelsea team that ten minutes from the end of the tie had him on his knees and he made it even more difficult against a Manchester City that embraced the final in the minute 90, forgiving a definitive 0-2 before Rodrygo and Benzema performed the greatest miracle in memory at the Bernabéu.
If football is, as Johan Cruyff said, ‘a game of failures’, Ancelotti’s team got a perfect performance from him throughout the tournament… And he pushed him to the limit in the final itself. In Paris, he leaned on a superb Courtois and did not even need the appearance of Benzema. A shot at the pleasure of Vinicius, assisted by Valverde and thanks to the overall failure of a defense that was signaled, was enough to win the title.
It was the final for Courtois, a giant who saved his team for the second time after 20 minutes, clearing Mané’s shot just enough for the post to deny him the goal that Liverpool chased with as much insistence as disorder. Those of Klopp dominated and the meringues calmly protected themselves, waiting for their opportunity, without being reckless, giving up a false authority to the rival and understanding that, sooner or later, they would have theirs…
They had it at the start of the first half, with Alisson and his entire defense already signalled, Liverpool saved by Benzema being offside in what was, in fact, the first arrival of real danger for the Madridistas. Suddenly, without knowing the reason, the reds already understood that the white legend is eternal…
THE HIT
And they confirmed it before reaching the quarter hour of the second half. Everyone got confused, no one scored who should score, Alexander-Arnold left Vinicius alone and no one attended to Valverde’s rise, who gave the Brazilian half a goal. and goal. Just like Madrid, in two arrivals on goal they ruled the scoreboard over a rival who had been desperate to attack for nothing.
From there it was crashing again and again against Courtois. Salah, missing for a long hour, seemed to wake up but by then the Madrid legend, who has played 17 European Cup finals and has only lost three, was already flying over the Stade de France, the last one, in this same city of Paris 41 years ago. And against the same Liverpool he gave back in 2018. His last eight finals… won.
Five monumental appearances by Courtois were decisive in deciding the fate of the match. Liverpool wanted but could not. And Europe crowned, once again, its king of kings.
–
