Paris (AFP)
Real Madrid crowned himself the absolute “king” of the European Champions League, after winning the title for the fourteenth time in its history, by defeating Liverpool at the Stade de France 1-0 in the final match.
After making French Zinedine Zidane the coach with the most title winning in succession (three times between 2016 and 2018), Real gave his new old coach, Italian Carlo Ancelotti, the achievement of being the first coach to win the title four times in the history of the competition in its previous and current versions, after he had previously been crowned With Milan (2003 and 2007) and with the Royal Club in particular (2014) in his previous passage.
The Italian said after the meeting: I do not believe it. We’ve had a great season. We played well. It was a tough match and we suffered a lot, especially in the first half. In the end, I think we deserved to win this competition.”
On winning the title for the fourth time, he continued, “I am a record man. I was lucky to come back here last year and have a great season. I think we have overcome difficult matches. The fans helped us a lot in the last match. They helped us a lot tonight.”
Real owes its record number of titles and renewal of its victory over Liverpool, who lost the 2018 final against the Spanish team 1-3 in Kyiv, to the Brazilian Vinicius Junior, who scored in the 59th minute the only goal of the match, whose launch was delayed for 36 minutes, due to “security problems”. Linked to “delayed fan arrivals” and fraudulent tickets, according to UEFA.
Vinicius Junior was not the only hero in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis, but Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois played a key role in his brilliance in the face of Liverpool’s attempts, especially the Egyptian Mohamed Salah, who was looking for revenge against the Royal Club, after he was denied the completion of the meeting in front of him in 2018, due to an injury In the shoulder caused by Sergio Ramos.
Real, who also crowned the local league title, deprived his English rival of his seventh title in the continental competition and achieving the treble, so that he was satisfied with the titles of the two local cup competitions, after he dreamed of a historic quartet before Manchester City robbed him of him, by winning the local league in the last stage by a point difference, and after him The Royal Club beat it yesterday.
Despite the criticism directed at him at the beginning of his second adventure in the “Santiago Bernabeu”, Ancelotti succeeded in leading the royal club to add the Champions League title to the League title, after an exceptional journey in the continental competition in which he and his players imposed themselves “kings” of returning from afar, after they were close. From the exit in the eight-, quarter- and semi-final rounds against French Paris Saint-Germain, the defending champion Chelsea and the latter’s citizen, Manchester City, before returning and deciding the qualification in the deadly time.
And in the fourth final match between coaches who previously won the title, after 2007 (Ancelotti with Milan and Spaniard Rafael Benitez with Liverpool in particular), 2010 (Portuguese Jose Mourinho with Inter and Dutchman Louis van Gaal with Bayern Munich) and 2011 (Spain Josep Guardiola with Barcelona and Scottish Alex Ferguson). With Manchester United, Ancelotti defeated German Jurgen Klopp, who won the title with the “red” in 2019, and became the best coach in the history of the competition, in terms of titles, after he was the first coach to enter the final four times.
Liverpool started the meeting pressing, but without any chances until the 16th minute, when Salah was close to opening the scoring for the English team after a cross from Alexander-Arnold, but Courtois had him on the lookout and then repeated the matter seconds later in the face of the Egyptian scorer.
And amid Real’s inability to get out of its area, Liverpool continued its pressure and was close again to the net if Courtois had not intervened with the help of the left post to block Mane’s shot (21).
After he came out unscathed from the attacking tide of Liverpool, Real began to move towards the “Reds” area, but without a risk to the Brazilian goalkeeper Allison, who was not tested on any occasion amid the inability of Ancelotti’s men to shoot even towards the goal, even for once with access to the minutes The last five of the first half.
And when the half was breathing its last, Real thought that he kidnapped the goal of the advance through Benzema after a fray in the area between Alisson, Konate and Fabinho, after a cross from the Frenchman, who returned the ball to him to hit it in the net, but the referee and after a prolonged scrutiny by “VAR” canceled it. For offside, although the ball reached him from Fabinho’s knee.
Similar to the first half, the second Liverpool began pressing, but without effectiveness again in front of Courtois goal, so they paid the price in the 59th minute when Casemiro started a counter-attack, after which the ball reached Valverde, who penetrated on the right side, and he played it cross to reach the far post of Vinicius Junior, who deposited it in the net.
Salah was close to equalizing with a shot from the outskirts of the area. Courtois starred in blocking it (64), then repeated the matter a few minutes later by closing the corner in front of Al-Masry (69).
Real knew how to keep the goal despite the attempts of Klopp’s men, thanks to Courtois, who starred twice in the face of Salah and prevented Al-Masry from equalizing, to lead his team to safety and ultimately devote himself to the “king” of the continental competition.
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