[Soccer Champions League Analysis]Real Madrid defeated Liverpool in the final and achieved the 14th European victory in history. However, there were many games that could not be said to have won in terms of stats and content throughout this tournament, and the final was no exception. Even so, the “as” analyst unravels the strength of getting a big ear.
The 2021-22 season Champions League (CL) final. Liverpool and Real Madrid’s best match in European football was won by Real Madrid 1-0, achieving the 14th European title in history.
Real Madrid have been struggling to win in the final tournaments with 1 win and 1 loss, but there are no exceptions in the finals, and Liverpool will continue to hold the pace. After all, the number of shots was “4:24”, and the stats on the attack surface almost exceeded Liverpool. Still, the big save of the guardian Thibaut Courtois and the goal of Vini Jr. Junior in the 59th minute have won the big ear.
Habi Sijes, who is in charge of the game analysis in the Spanish letter “as”, declares that Real Madrid’s victory is “an event that shakes football from the ground up”. What is the reason? Unravel the strength of Real Madrid and the final match against Liverpool.
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Sentence = Habi Siges / Spanish newspaper “as” match analysis
Translation = Shinichiro Ema
The better one won’t win …
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Real Madrid have a long history in the Champions Cup / League, but no season has been as terrifying as this one. Even in this final, Madrid has won without surpassing their opponents. Looking back on the data calmly (Liverpool has 24 shots and Madrid has 4 shots), the team led by Jurgen Klopp would definitely have won. But that has nothing to do with Madrid. The self-confidence, spirit and soul they have maintained throughout the tournament goes above all football. The better one wins, not the Madrid.
There was nothing surprising about the scenario of the match, with the predictable development that Liverpool would take the lead and Madrid await them. Liverpool were drawn by the high press they were good at. Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara will chase Madrid’s CBs or Thibaut Courtois, Fabinho will be free in the center, and Ibrahima Konate & Virgil van Dijk will also rise to the middle. To avoid this press, Madrid was able to hit a long ball at Vini Jr. Junior & Federico Valverde, aiming behind Trent Alexander-Arnold & Andrew Robertson, and hopefully get closer to the goal. .. But there was no doubt that Liverpool read the game better, and Carlo Ancelotti’s team, whose possession was sealed, was certainly suffering.
Liverpool held the key to the match with Chiago conducting the orchestra, Henderson giving dynamism, and A-Arnold between Toni Kroos and Vini Jr. They are moving the ball brilliantly, including a side change to Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz opening to the side. However, it seems that this season, the influence of having exhausted his mortality until the very end was still there. It is undeniable that their performance, which had been forced into a tense battle until just before the final, had some difficulty in selecting and executing play. Even so, the deciding machine was sufficiently greeted by the relentless cutting from the side and Sadio Mané poking between the lines, on both sides of Casemiro, and between CB & SB, but Courtois made a series of miraculous saves for Madrid. There was …
Madrid, who continued to maintain no goals despite being pushed by Liverpool, counterattacked through Luka Modric & Claus. In the history of the Champions these days, no midfielder weighs more than them. The Croatian & German duo went back and received the ball to build Madrid’s attack, but Klopp’s team wasn’t fresh enough to play effectively in the transition and could be pushed into their own camp. There was no inconvenience. Madrid had some of the biggest offside deciding factors in the first half, and although they were pushed into Liverpool overall, it wasn’t strange that they were in the lead and half-time.
There are holes and gaps, but …
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The flow does not change in the second half. It was Liverpool who played more creatively, but Madrid already knew how to avoid their press. Modric attracts the opponents, both side backs are in the center, and Vini Jrde & Valverde open to the side to spread Liverpool’s defensive block sideways. The final points were also born in this way.
Modric attracted the three players and struck a surprise with a vertical pass on his left foot to Dani Carvajal, who was squeezing the ball in the center, connecting the ball from Casemiro to Casemiro, and from Casemiro to Valverde outside. Valverde used his vertical propulsion to run through the right side, and Benzema in the offside position pushed through the grounder’s cross he sent, and Vini Jr. of Farr pushed in. What I would like to emphasize in this goal is that the more risks Modric takes, such as attracting opponents on his own, the more his creativity shines, which leads to Madrid’s chances. And Vini Jr. was firmly aiming behind A = Arnold’s always full of gaps.
Behind the scenes, Klopp tries to catch up with the tie by replacing Luis Diaz, who made many mistakes, with Diogo Jota, and then reducing the number of midfielders to appoint Roberto Firmino. But in any case, Madrid defends with the resolute attitude that they have been showing throughout the season.
There was a good chance they would run out, and even this was. In the cross attack, the fur’s defense was always weak, and there was a scene that allowed Salah’s one-off decision from the long ball sent when the defender line was raised. But Madrid is still not punished for their mistakes. It may be luck, Courtois, and the ability of other players. For example, the cover in Casemiro’s penalty area was a perfect score of 10, and the defense that stuck to Carvajal and Milliton’s opponents was also excellent. At the end of the game, Liverpool had a clear play by Salah, but the accuracy of the finish was not enough to score one point.
Winner who shakes soccer from the ground up
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If Benzema was in the fight with Ballon d’Or, it would be as good as having it in his hands. However, there are other players who should win the gold ball. Yes, Courtois. Madrid would never be the European champion without him. In the past, there was a dispute over whether he really deserved a Madrid goalkeeper, but what a pointless thing …
The victory of Madrid’s miraculous trajectory was an event that shook football from the ground up. The better you are in football, the better you will be. That must be the case throughout a tournament, not just one match. But this season Madrid has made an exception. They will win in any way, even if they are inferior to their opponents throughout the tournament.