Champions League Final: Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham: 5 Talking Points and Tactical Analysis
Liverpool cruised past Tottenham in the UEFA Champions League final at the Wanda Metropolitano. The Reds emerged 2-0 winners and were full value for their victory.
In the 1st minute, the game had its first flashpoint. A cross by Sadio Mane on the left flank struck Moussa Sissoko’s arm in the penalty area. The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Mohamed Salah took responsibility and smashed the ball beyond the reach of Hugo Lloris to give Liverpool the lead.
Spurs tried to respond in kind and stitched several promising attacks together. However, they severely lacked the end product and were left to rue the enormous amount of possession they enjoyed.
The second half developed a pattern where the North London side tried to break open the Liverpool door while the latter bided its time and waited for the ideal opportunity to hit back.
The said opening arrived in the 87th minute and Divock Origi made no mistake with a pin-point shot into the bottom corner.
Here is a look at the talking points from the game:
#5 An anti-climactic end to a sensational Champions League season
The 2018-19 UEFA Champions League would certainly go down as one of the most scintillating competitions in recent memory. The group stages contained its fair share of outstanding matches while Europe’s elite raised the bar a touch as the tournament entered the knockout stage.
The Round of 16 fixtures saw several impressive performances while the quarter finals provided a spectacle for the ages. As for the semi-finals, it would be safe to say that they were the best of the Champions League era.
After all, Barcelona don’t give away a three-goal deficit every day and Spurs don’t come back from being 3-0 down on aggregate to win the tie on away goals.
Thus, the final always had a mountain to climb in order to match, let alone outshine the matches that preceded it.
Unfortunately, though, it did neither and it turned out to be a bit of an anti-climax in the end.
Spurs and Liverpool represented two teams capable of setting the world ablaze with their brand of effervescent attacking football. However, the Reds were content on sitting back and waiting for their moment to capitalise. The above meant that of the two heavyweight punchers in the bout, one bet its money on its ability to counter-punch. Unsurprisingly, the game was a tad less exhilarating than it was expected to be.
Moreover, the game was also short on the drama quotient with not a lot unfolding between Liverpool’s first and second goals. The odd save from Alisson aside, Tottenham failed to make any substantial inroads.
Thus, the game acted as a bit of a dampener, especially after the astronomical heights some of the previous Champions League games had scaled.
While the above was due to no fault of either side, it was just ironic that such a sensational European season ended with such a drab affair.