Real Madrid beat Liverpool in Paris and won the 2021-2022 Champions League final. adding his fourteenth European title.
The pending account settled by a goalkeeper who wins finals like Thibaut Courtois, the protagonist of an exhibition at the Stade de France with nine stops that stopped a Liverpool powerful and was punished in the only shot on goal in the Real Madridat the coronation of Vinícius, who gave the fourteenth to the king of Europe after a new survival exercise.
The ‘Champions’ of the impossible comebacks, the magnitude of a team that does not play finals, wins them, was challenged by a Liverpool that overwhelmed with its dominance and took Real Madrid to the limit to sign a new feat. The return to the throne four years later with Carlo Ancelotti signing an unforgettable comeback. The most successful coach with his fourth conquest, the fifth of a generation that is already a legend.
There are no miracles in football, although sometimes it is impossible to explain certain events, usually dyed white. Real Madrid sold out the place until the final. The fortune factor, added to a unique caste and DNA, which he had in his face in the three comebacks for history, seemed to be against him in an action that marked the duel.
Benzema’s goal after the siege. The moment in which the ‘Champions’ player exhibited the finishing touch that Liverpool lacked in the first act to deal a direct blow to the rival’s self-esteem.
VAR saved Liverpool. With four minutes to decide if the position was legal or not. An action of interpretation that was decided from a room and not the referee centimeters away at the moment in which, after Benzema’s cut in the first arrival of Real Madrid’s danger, Valverde’s fight caused him to touch the ball, the play got stuck and it was Fabinho who ended up giving Karim an assist. A bounced ball. A decision that determines a final. Except when Real Madrid plays it.
Until that action, those of Ancelotti had been run over. No one would have believed that the rested team wore white. Liverpool nullified its virtues with high pressure. He locked him in his field, forced him to play long out of sheer impotence.
Without finding references in ball output, suffocated by the continuous losses. As overmatched as in Paris against PSG, against Chelsea at the Bernabéu or at the Etihad. With Fede Valverde suffering attached to the right side and Vinícius in physical inferiority against Konaté in each ball he sought for him.
Four years later there were many debts to pay off from kyiv. Salah’s revenge made him come out with blood in his eyes. With Thiago dominating the match, Liverpool’s overwhelming possession, the Egyptian appeared looking to settle his outstanding debt with glory. He did not count on Courtois as an unexpected guest. The hand down at 16 minutes from the Belgian saved the first. The beginning of an immeasurable end.
Real Madrid clamored for the appearance of Modric and Kroos in the face of Casemiro’s nervousness with the ball. The Croatian delayed meters to give calm with his touch but the duels were ‘reds’ and Ancelotti’s team was long, without an offensive presence. He took refuge in the figure of Courtois, again decisive at 20 minutes with a save that lowered Mané who ended up repelling the post.
Liverpool was unleashed, Real Madrid unknown. He protected himself from the storm as best he could, waiting for the appearance of his leader, Benzema, who warned with a race outside his zone. An action was needed that put fear in the body of the rival who continued to forgive. Alexander-Arnold always generating danger with his centers, Salah forgiving with his head. Madrid’s developed capacity for suffering was demonstrated by a goalkeeper who saved him from his worst moments. From there, he’s always confident that he’ll clear up to show off his punch.
It couldn’t have been on the brink of half-time with Benzema’s goal disallowed. But the message was released. There is no team in the world with a greater capacity for resilience than Real Madrid. He had to repeat the lessons of the qualifying rounds away from the Santigo Bernabéu, without his mysticism. And that was when Fede Valverde’s ability to overcome enemy lines appeared, unleash a shot at nothing and extract gold from one of the keys to the match: Arnold’s back. Vinícius appeared there to put the finishing touch to his highest scoring year.
Read also…
The blow was difficult for Liverpool to assimilate. His superiority in all facets of the game had been unproductive. It was his turn to take risks, recover his frenetic pace, exhaust his punished physique and leave the option of counterattack to a specialist.
Ancelotti’s bread changed. From needing Rodrygo as a plan B, he found the prize with a team that grew when he put lines together. Always saved by Courtois who flew and took a firm glove to Salah’s placed shot and made the night bitter with a quick reaction after Jota’s header that ‘Mo’ finished off cross. Suffering was assured. The anguish against a Liverpool with four strikers who never gave up.
Every minute was a step closer to the fourteenth. In full defensive display, giving everything on each ball, shrinking as he could, always in the hands of Courtois who took the deflection from Jota to Salah’s shot. Liverpool finished each play and the Belgian goalkeeper became the man of the final with another hand to Salah. Benzema forgave the coronation goal and Ceballos the final counter.
It did not matter, the last step to a Champions League full of merit, was already given. Real Madrid is, once again, European champion.