Real Madrid have beaten Liverpool to win the 2022 UEFA Champions League Final thanks to a goal by Brazilian sensation Vinicius Junior.
In the enthralling final in Paris, Liverpool and Real Madrid faced off. While Jurgen Klopp’s team was striving for a triple, Real Madrid were aiming for their 14th European Cup title.
Just days after narrowly losing the Premier League championship fight to Manchester City, Liverpool aimed to secure their second Champions League crown in four seasons against a compact Spanish side.
They’ve already won the League Cup and FA Cup in England. If they were able to beat Real Madrid, Liverpool would have won their seventh European Cup, tying with AC Milan for the second-most wins. As it stands, only Real Madrid has more Champions League titles, followed by AC Milan with seven titles, and then the rest.
Note that Madrid have the Champions League six times in nine seasons. The Spanish giants have triumphed in each of their past seven final appearances, which is ominous.
Thibaut Courtois to BT Sport: “I needed to win a final for my career, to put some respect on my name. I’m really happy and proud of the performance of the team. We’ve beaten the best clubs in the world. City and Liverpool were unbelievable this season, Liverpool played a great game but we had one chance and we scored it.”
Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois delivered one of the best individual performances to frustrate Liverpool time and time again, as Jurgen Klopp’s side ran into a one-man wall of defense.
Mohamed Salah, seeking retribution for his early exit from the 2018 final against Real Madrid due to injury, was denied three times by Courtois, who was simply untouchable.
Carlo Ancelotti also makes history by becoming the first coach to win the Champions League four times. And Vinicius scored the game-winning goal after 59 minutes when he snuck in unnoticed at the far post.
