Bale brace decides frantic final as Real Madrid emerge as kings of Europe once again

All the talk pre-match was about the two sides' defensive deficiencies and how they could lead to a goal-fest and whilst that did not prove to be the case, it proved to be a thoroughly entertaining final.

Liverpool flew out of the blocks early on, with Raphael Varane and Keylor Navas forced be alert to make vital interceptions to deny Sadio Mane and Trent Alexander-Arnold clear sights of goal.

Following a promising early spell, Real Madrid grew into the game, denying their opponents possession and limiting their ability to create chances of their own.

Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo both failed to test Loris Karius with somewhat speculative efforts, before Alexander-Arnold saw a fierce low effort well saved by Navas.

With 26 minutes gone though, Liverpool suffered a huge blow as Mohamed Salah went down clutching his shoulder following a challenge with Sergio Ramos, with the Egyptian unable to continue having suffered a suspected dislocation.

Real Madrid suffered an injury problem of their own just minutes later, as Dani Carvajal was also forced off in tears, with both players now facing a battle to be fit in time for the World Cup.

'Los Blancos' thought they had taken the lead on the stroke of half-time, only for Karim Benzema's follow-up from Ronaldo's header to be ruled out for offside.

With that, the two sides went in level at the break, but it never looked like staying that way for long as Liverpool started sloppily after the restart.

First, Isco rattled the crossbar after James Milner could only prod the ball into his path as he attempted to clear, before the deadlock was finally broken with 51 minutes gone.

When the goal came, it was in bizarre fashion. Karius came off his line to claim a long ball forward ahead of Benzema, before attempting to roll the ball out quickly to a defender.

Alert to his intentions, Benzema stuck out a foot, with the ball ricocheting off the Frenchman and into the back of the net.

Despite being second best at that point, Liverpool quickly levelled against the run of play.

James Milner flighted in a corner from the right, with Dejan Lovren rising to meet it and Sadio Mane reacting quickest to stick out a leg and divert it past Navas from six yards to restore parity.

 

26 May 2018

As the clock ticked past the hour mark, Zinedine Zidane turned to Gareth Bale and in line with the Frenchman's pre-match predictions, it was a substitute that decided the game.

Bale made an instant impact, restoring Real's lead with a stunning overhead kick that Karius could only watch flash past him and into the top corner.

 

26 May 2018

It was a goal worthy of winning any game, but you always got the feeling that the scoring wasn't done in this one and so it proved.

Mane almost dragged his side back into proceedings once again with 20 minutes to go as he rattled the base of the post with a low drive from 25 yards, before Andy Robertson was forced into a brilliant challenge at the other end to deny Ronaldo.

As Liverpool threw more men forward, the gaps rapidly appeared at the back, but it was another mistake from Karius that took the game from out of their reach.

With just seven minutes to go, Bale picked the ball up 30 yards out on the right and jinked inside before taking aim with an ambitious effort. The 'Cardiff Express' caught his effort well, but it looked to be a routine save for the Liverpool goalkeeper.

It wasn't. The German misjudged the strike, allowing it to squirm through his hands and into the back of the net to end Liverpool's European dream.

Bale could even have had a hat-trick late on had it not been for a fine sliding challenge from Lovren, but in the end it was Real Madrid who once again stole the show in Europe with a record-breaking third straight European crown and a 13th in total.

 

26 May 2018