As it happened: LFC 0-1 Real Madrid

Champions League Final
Saturday 28 May 2022 - 8:00 pm
Stade de France, Paris
Liverpool0
1Real Madrid
Show Match Events
59'⚽️ Vinícius Jr
Fabinho62'
Diaz off, Jota on ↔️65'
Alcantara off, Firmino on ↔️77'
Henderson off, Keïta on ↔️77'
85'↔️ Valverde off, Camavinga on
90'↔️ Modrić off, Ceballos on
90'↔️ Júnior off, Rodrygo on
Hide Match Events

And so here it is.  Matchday 63 of a long but rewarding season.  The reds are searching for a third trophy and the biggest one of them all.

Liverpool hoping to capture their 7th European Cup.  Madrid chasing their 14th.  Two undisputed European heavyweights slogging it out for the third time in the final.

Liverpool have won one encounter - 1981.  Real Madrid the more recent pairing - 2018.

The reds buildup has involved victory in the FA Cup followed by eventual disappointment of being pipped to the Premier League title by a solitary point.  There have been injury concerns too for van Dijk, Salah, Gomez, Thiago and Fabinho.  And one face the reds will have to do without is Divock Origi who scored in Liverpool's 2019 European Cup win.

Fans have been arriving in Paris throughout the past 48 hours, plane, train, automobile and as it turns out a speedboat across the English channel.  The Liverpool players arrived yesterday afternoon and had some time at the stadium yesterday evening.

But now the waiting is over.   Follow the game with us here.  Up the reds!

As it happened...

17:42 UK
Today in Paris....

Let's hope most of the reds make it to 8pm.  It's been a long day filled with travel for many, and celebrations at the Liverpool fan park in Paris.

Reds fans turned the French capital into a sea of red.

And with many ex-reds in attendance there was even time for The King himself to be introduced to the travelling reds.

 

18:26 UK
Madrid team

Real Madrid have gone traditionally early - posting their line up to their social media accounts.

No surprises.

Courtois, Carvajal, Militão, Alaba, Kroos, Modrić, Casemiro, Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius Jnr, Mendy

Subs: Lunin, Nacho, Hazard, Marcelo, Asensio, Vázquez, Bale, Rodrygo, Isco, Camavinga, Mariano, Ceballos

18:43 UK
Liverpool arrive at Stade de France

Seemed to be little to no escort for the Liverpool coach which was held up in traffic. 

But they have now arrived at the stadium and can begin their build up for the final.

18:44 UK

18:48 UK
Fabinho and Thiago start for the reds

Fabinho and Thiago in for the reds.

Konate in defence.

18:50 UK
Confirmed LFC Team

Here we go then.

Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson, Alcantara, Mane, Salah, Diaz

Subs: Kelleher, Milner, Keïta, Firmino, Gomez, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jones, Jota, Minamino, Matip, Tsimikas, Elliott

19:16 UK
Some issues for LFC fans getting into the stadium

It seems police vans have been blocking a large part of an underpass into the stadium.

Some fans have been trying to get into the ground for more than 90 minutes.

19:26 UK
Reds head out for their warm up

19:32 UK
Concerns over Thiago

He's not warming up with the rest of the team.  He is training alone - going through some last minute stretches currently as Keita joins the rest of the team in training.

Could be a starting XI change.

19:42 UK

Does appear that Keita is going to start here instead of Thiago.

19:45 UK

19:47 UK
KICK OFF DELAYED BY 15 MINS

Police and UEFA stewards appear to have made a big error here.

There are thousands of Liverpool fans outside who have been effectively kettled in an underpass by the French police.

Rumours that police closed gates to the stadium with fans with tickets locked outside.

Anyway, there is a kick off delay so hopefully they have time to get in.

19:56 UK
Former Liverpool chief executive tweets

He's very critical of UEFA's organisation here.  Suggestions that fans, with tickets, have been tear-gassed because the police have locked gates that should be open.

20:05 UK

Main issue currently outside the ground is that they have locked a gate into the stadium.  There are fans and families outside with tickets unable to get through.  Rumours of stewards asking for money to get in, and of the police tear-gassing people.

20:07 UK
LFC Players back out

Coming out for another warm up.

20:08 UK
KICK OFF

Delayed until 8:30pm.

20:26 UK

20:26 UK
UEFA pressing on

Despite the despicable scenes outside by the French police, UEFA have started their pre-game 'Superbowl' style nonsense.

20:28 UK

20:33 UK
Teams in the tunnel

Heading on to the pitch.

20:35 UK

Thiago is starting.  Fingers crossed.  Benzema and Henderson shake hands at the middle.

20:37 UK
KICK OFF

After all the UEFA and French police delays, the final is now underway.

20:42 UK

20:45 UK

8' Sadio Mane's taken a heavy crunching tackle.  Not moving great at the minute.

20:48 UK

11' Inconspicuous start.  No chances of note so far.

20:52 UK

15' Konate takes the ball twice off Vinicius Jnr.  Nice!

20:53 UK

16' Liverpool trickery and Courtouis has to beat away a Mo Salah chance from the edge of the area.

Liverpool pushing for an opener.

20:54 UK

18' Liverpool carve Madrid open again and Courtouis has to save another shot from Salah.

20:56 UK
Over the bar

19' Salah sidefoots it to Trent but he smashes that over the bar.

20:58 UK
POST!

22' That's a great turn and shot from Mane and Courtouis's fingertips help it on to the post.

21:02 UK

25' Vinicius tries a cross/shot but Alisson claims under pressure from Benzema.

21:07 UK

30' Crucial intervention from Trent to stop a ball feeding Vinicius.

21:11 UK
Chance number three for Salah

35' Trent crosses it but Salah heads it straight at Courtois.  Time to find those corners please Mo.

21:14 UK

37' Carvajal can't live with Luis Diaz.  That's his third foul on the Colombian but still no card shown.

21:18 UK
Chance

41' Liverpool corner and it ends up with Henderson who connects with power but not with direction.

The reds utterly dominating but no breakthrough. 

21:23 UK

That was a long VAR check.

NO GOAL.

21:28 UK
HALF TIME

Liverpool with almost all the chances, bar that late VAR check.

But it remains 0-0. 

21:42 UK
SECOND HALF

Back underway.  No subs yet.

21:47 UK

50' Casemiro cons the ref and wins a free kick at the expense of Trent.

21:52 UK

55' Trent fizzes one in, Thiago is inches away and Courtouis punches away.

21:53 UK

56' Militao with his arms all over Luis Diaz and somehow wins the free kick.

21:55 UK

58' Salah with a couple of chances.  Liverpool enjoying a nice spell and the crowd responding.

21:56 UK
Goal

59' Vinicius Jnr is free at the back post and slams that one home.  Liverpool undone by a pass by Valverde.

Disappointing and somewhat against the run of play.

21:59 UK
Yellow

62' Fabinho booked for a late tackle on Valverde.

22:01 UK
SAVE

64' Courtouis saves from a curling Salah shot.

Jota being readied.

22:02 UK
LFC Sub

65' Diaz replaced by Jota.

22:07 UK
Chance

69' Liverpool corner, Jota heads across the face of goal and Courtuois once again denies Salah at the back post.

The Madrid keeper, sadly, is having a great game.

22:14 UK
Double LFC Sub

77' Firmino and Keita replace Thiago and Jordan Henderson.

22:17 UK

80' Courtois rescues Madrid again.  This time from a Jota deflected shot.

22:19 UK
Great chance

82' Ball comes out to Keita at the edge of the box but boy does he get that wrong.

Totally mishits the shot.

22:20 UK
Big chance

82' The Real Madrid keeper again.  Brilliant control by Salah and a shot but the keeper puts it out yet again.

22:21 UK

84' Big counter attack from Madrid.  3 on to 1 but they mess it up and Alisson manages to get there.

22:22 UK
Sub

85' Camavinga replaces Valverde.

22:26 UK
Sub

90' Modric replaced by Ceballos.

22:27 UK

FIVE minutes of added time.

22:30 UK
Sub

90+2' Rodrygo replaaces Vinicius Jnr.

Time running out.

22:33 UK
FULL TIME

FT: Liverpool 0-1 Real Madrid

Difficult defeat for Liverpool to swallow.  A classic smash and grab from Real Madrid really.

Absolute farce ahead of kick off made for a difficult evening.

22:51 UK

Trent heads up last to collect his runners up medal.  To their credit the Madrid fans applaud the reds.

Liverpool had about 20 shots tonight, Madrid just three but it is they who will lift the trophy.

22:56 UK

Real Madrid lift the trophy.  A very weird final.  Marcelo lifts the trophy despite not playing in the final.  A bit of a John Terry style moment.

22:56 UK

Real Madrid lift the trophy.  A very weird final.  Marcelo lifts the trophy despite not playing in the final.  A bit of a John Terry style moment.

23:13 UK

23:20 UK

Just waiting to hear from the Liverpool boss.

23:26 UK

Klopp: 'The mood in the dressing room is not good.  We played a good game - not a perfect game.  Their defensive set up was tricky, which made the counter-attacks difficult.  We had lots of shots but only 3 or so were Courtois made top saves.  And then we conceded.'

'(Disappointed with the goal) I never like it.  Even if they score from 25 yards.  The boys tried everything.  When we went 1-0 down we played like we wanted to before.  We could have caused them more problems.  We wanted to be braver in the second half.  We played around them and should have played more into them.'

'It feels different.  It's not bad to get to the final.  I have the strong feeling that 'we come again'.

'Where's the final next year? Istanbul? Book the hotel.'

23:32 UK

Thanks for joining us.

Liverpool will still hold a parade tomorrow on the streets of Liverpool after returning both English domestic cup competitions back into the account.  The FA Cup and League Cup.  Alongside that the LFC Women's team will be involved after they won the Championship.

The players will have a few weeks off (apart from internationals) then they will have to use tonight as motivation for next season.

And the last time they lost a final to Real Madrid they won the trophy the following season.



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