Just when you need the most in-form player in your team to step and finally secure a silverware after many years, everything goes flushing down the same old lane for Liverpool. It has been a memorable Champions League tournament for Liverpool since day 1 until the Final against reigning champions, Real Madrid. It was a final that no Liverpool player, the coach, the officials neither the fans would want to remember. It is surely one of those finals that all Liverpool fans would wish it never existed.
The Final at Kiev, that one day that would sum up Liverpool and Real's journey in the tournament seemed too easy in the end for the Spanish giants to snatch it. Losing Mo Salah in the early stages was already a big blow that could potentially cost us the silverware, well it never just ended there because Karius had other plans of outsmarting Salah's headline injury status by causing two blunders that he will never forget his entire life.
The 24 year-old German was excellent throughout the group stages and the knockout stages that followed but just one night, brought a title of "blunder" upon him. It is funny how the complex of the game just drifted in a dark road for Karius but he only has himself to blame, because regardless being inexperienced, his breathtaking performances throughout the tournament created a hope among the Liverpool.
Jurgen Klopp was rather reluctant to have a go at Karius for those costly mistakes but what he did just proves how much of a great coach and a friend he is to his players. Although failing to win a single silverware since taking up the role at Liverpool, Klopp deserves nothing but great amount appreciation because he did something that no former managers at Liverpool were able to pull through, which is taking the Reds to three major cup finals.
Well, one man that silenced all critics, Gareth Bale stole the limelight and how ironically, it just had to be in the Champions League Final. I tell you, Zidane is a genius. Resting your most expensive player and bringing him on when there is no Mo Salah, well what more can you expect but a super, crazy, unbelievable overhead kick goal that stunned football fans worldwide. I tell you, my friend was like, "holy shit, what just happened! Tell me I am dreaming." Well, mate you're not unfortunately.
Million dollar goal that's worth of winning any type of match and definitely an even bigger bonus since it is the grandest stage of all.
Ronaldo was well-guarded by Van Djik and Lovren. I thought the centrebacks did a great job of handling the five-time Ballon d'Or winner and kept him on his toes, but Bale was left unguarded when he scored that outrageous goal.
Liverpool never played bad except for those mistakes, and even after losing Salah, I thought they did put up a good fight against a highly formidable team that's filled with players that could potentially snatch any form of championship tournaments. They made a world class team look merely average and that is some achievement by their current standards.
Sergio's act of wrestling Salah down to the ground which cost a dislocated shoulder for the Egyptian was not something new for the Spaniard. He has been doing that for ages and I am sure it was all part of the plan to bring down the most dangerous Liverpool player on the field.
Let's hope they come back stronger and may they finally win something.
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