Who knows what Loris Karius will comfort. And above all, who knows when the German goalkeeper of Liverpool will be so far, on the evening of 26. To look back on May 2018, without feeling the gloomiest of feelings. When the game was called off, Karius dropped to his knees in the six-yard box and so deep on the pitch of the Olympic Stadium in Kiev that it seemed as if he wanted to bury himself. He knew too well that his name would forever be tied to a 3-1 ( 0-0 ) victory for Real Madrid in the Champions League final. After two disastrous mistakes, he offered Real Madrid to 13. Handle pot of the club's history. Packed in cellophane by Karius.
The mistakes Karius made will not be missed in an annual review. In the 51. The minute he threw Karim Benzema ( 51 ) in a throw the ball in the foot, from where the ball bounced to 1-0 for Real into the net. In the 83. The minute he then let a 30-meter shot, which flew exactly to him, to 1: 3 slip through his fingers. In the meantime, Sadio Mané had compensated for Liverpool ( 55 ). But the Welshman Gareth Bale made the 2: 1 with a brilliant throwback from 14 meters.
Bale is only two minutes in the field when he first hits
Bale had to digest the disappointment before the game that Zidane decided to send the same team to the pitch as they did a year ago when they defeated Turin in the final of Cardiff Juventus. For Bale, who had scored five goals in the past four league games, played Isco. Liverpool coach Klopp quit the team that had been widely anticipated. It was, therefore, the most dangerous offensive trio of the past Champions League: Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino, and Sadio Mané, who had scored 29 goals.
Liverpool tried from the beginning to put the game under power. Due to high pressing, the Reds provoked an enormous number of ball losses of the Madrilenians. In the early stages, they had enormous problems stringing together three passes. Only if they found Toni Kroos, the defending champion managed to give the game something like peace. But even the German world champion underwent - unheard of! - one, two mistakes.
A foul by Sergio Ramos as in judo makes for a significant break in the game
After an initial phase in which Liverpool seemed to take over the game, Real's captain Sergio Ramos brought a break in the game. In a duel in midfield, he tore Mo Salah with a judo handle. The referee was impunity. Salah lunged unhappily on the left shoulder, writhing in pain, being treated, playing first, and broke down crying three minutes later. To continue playing was no longer think, Klopp joined Adam Lallana.
Real Madrid also had an injury-related defeat to complain of: Right-back Carvajal retired, as in the Champions League final in 2016, 2016, le injury and had to be replaced by Nacho. But the loss of Salah hit Liverpool unequal tougher, the Reds were shocked. Madrid now took control of the game, with Nacho taking a ball to the side net before the break and Benzema's 18-yard shot in injury time.
Mané only hits the post - then Karius pats a second time
After the break, it was then Isco, who made the first exclamation mark: After an unsuccessful defense action, he chased the ball to the crossbar ( 48 ). The scene of the game took place shortly after: Goalkeeper Karius made his first lapse. He had caught a straight pass in his own penalty area and threw him into the field as if he'd missed Benzema, who was standing two feet away from him. Was the German keeper dazed by a collision with Sergio Ramos after a corner?
The joy of the Madrilenians on the happy leadership hardly lasted a wink. After a corner of Firmino Dejan Lovren won a header duel against Ramos - and Sadio Mané steered the ball with a plunge into the net. It followed the first appearance of Bale. 122 seconds after his substitution for Isco he chased a Marcelo flank with a fantastic kick from 14 meters to 2: 1 under the crossbar ( 64 ). His beauty was in no way inferior to that of Ronaldo in the quarter-final match against Juventus. Karius was without a chance.
Mané hit the left post again from 18 yards, and Liverpool did not seem to have a chance to equalize. Also, Karius was in the meantime again on the height, defeated with a splendid parade a volley of Benzema ( 83. ). But then the German goalkeeper made the second buck of the evening - the shot of Bale. Real played down the clock - and lifted the trophy into the sky of Kiev. Real is now the first team since Bayern by Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller ( 1974-76 ), who won the most important European title three times in a row.
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