Real Madrid went on to secure yet another Champions League title and that makes it three in a row for them. They were up against a spirited Liverpool team and the match was being fiercely fought. However, they pounced on mistakes of their goalkeeper and a moment of genius from Gareth Bale secured a historic 13th European title for the Los Blancos.
The Galacticos started slightly on the backfoot but as the game went on they started to show their dominance. They were helped by the fact that Mohamed Salah went out injured around the half-hour mark. Madrid themselves suffered an injury and had to make a forced substitution as Dani Carvajal went down with a heel problem. The game was well poised at the halftime but it soon changed after a masterstroke from Zidane where he brought on Gareth Bale onto the pitch. The Welshman scored a brace and probably scored one of the greatest goals in a Champions League final. Even though he was on the pitch for just half an hour, he probably deserved the man of the match for a performance like that.
This is how the Los Blancos fared in the final.
Keylor Navas 6
Made a terrific save of Alexander Arnold’s shot early on and had a good game in between the sticks, unlike his counterpart.
Dani Carvajal 6
Went off in tears but he sure will be delighted with his winner’s medal. Looked solid when he was on the pitch.
Raphael Varane 7
Read the game well and kept the Liverpool attackers at bay for the most part of the game.
Sergio Ramos 6
Was his usual street smart self in defence and showed why an experienced head like him counts in the final.
Casemiro 6
Was effective in breaking down Liverpool’s play and kept feeding the ball to more creative players.
Toni Kroos 5
Not one of the best night for the German as he was harried by Liverpool players and gave away possession quite a few times. Had a much-assured performance in the second half.
Luka Modric 7.5
If you count out Bale’s impactful goals then probably the Croatian was the man of the match. Kept things ticking in midfield and was also impressive with his defensive work rate.
Isco 5
The Liverpool defenders and midfielders were extremely tight with him and didn’t allow him much space. Missed a good opportunity as he hit the crossbar. Was substituted around the hour mark as he failed to influence the play much.
Cristian Ronaldo 4
Was pretty much a passenger throughout the game and gave the ball away cheaply quiet a few times. A very passive Ronaldo performance on a big night.
Karim Benzema 6
His tenacity and perseverance led to Madrid’s first goal as he nicked the ball of Karius’s throw. Didn’t get many clear-cut opportunities.
Substitutes
Nacho 7
Had to come on the big stage after Carvajal’s injury. He did a good job and provided good overlapping runs down the wings.
Gareth Bale 8
A goal of epic proportions at a big stage will certainly boost up Bale’s chances of staying at Real Madrid for next season. A man of the match performance from the Welshman as he blew Liverpool away in his short cameo.
