Courtois gives Madrid the fourteenth

• The merengue goalkeeper exhibited himself in Paris against a superior Liverpool in many phases of the final.
• Vinicius’ goal at the start of the second half was too much for the ‘red’, unable to overcome the Belgian wall.

Real Madrid was crowned in Paris with its fourteenth Champions League, double that of the second most successful team in Europe, Milan, which has seven. It was on a brutal night for Courtois that he stopped absolutely everything at the Stade de France against a Liverpool team that dominated but ran into the huge Belgian goalkeeper. Vinicius, in minute 59, was the author of the goal that certified that this team is from another planet.

Real Madrid and Liverpool presented their gala ‘eleven’ despite the fact that Thiago was doubtful until the last minute in Klopp’s box when he noticed some discomfort in the warm-up. The beginning was of total domain ‘network’. However, it took them more than a quarter of an hour to find a clear chance in a pass into the box by Alexander-Arnold that Salah finished off with great intention, running into Courtois’s wall for the first time that evening.

With total dominance, ‘red’ Courtois appeared again in a run by Mané down the left, who sat down Militao and shot at the near post. The Belgian goalkeeper deflected just enough for the ball to crash into the post. It was the 21st minute and Liverpool had more than 60 percent possession.

But if someone thinks that Real Madrid is uncomfortable with a match script like this, they are wrong. The white team actually grows in the face of these challenges. Ancelotti’s idea is transparent: find Vinicius in the form of unchecking or Benzema. The Frenchman stuck with Konaté, a starter in the Champions League but not in the Premier, to charge down the left-wing of the attack looking for that association that LaLiga gave them and taking them to Paris. After half an hour, Benzema found the Brazilian between the lines, he dribbled past Konaté and when Alisson was already faced to face, Liverpool captain Henderson appeared, who he sent to a corner. The scare gripped Klopp who lost control of the match. And when it smells of blood, there is Benzema. In minute 43, the Frenchman received a very long pass from Alaba, sat down Van Dijk, and shot low. Alisson, very attentive, stopped but inexplicably, or things of white magic, the ball slipped, it fell to Valverde, who shot, touched Fabinho, fell again in the 9 meringue, and this time he did not forgive. Not even the VAR understood the play, which had to watch several long minutes until deciding that it was illegal for the Frenchman’s offside. The clarity of the rules is something that FIFA must work on. In this case, the VAR referees considered that the rebound in the former merengue quarry did not annul the illegal position of the striker. Benzema did not give up. The next play almost left Alisson in the corner of Karius and Donnarumma when he almost sliced ​​a ball off the Brazilian goalkeeper in the last highlight of the first half.

The second half started as the first ended, with Madrid growing despite the attempts of those from Merseyside to dominate their rival until the time came for the Ancelotti formula. In the 58th minute, Modric made Robertson leave the defense, give it to Casemiro, and this to Valverde, who occupied the gap that the side had left empty. The Uruguayan started towards Alisson’s goal and crossed a brilliant low pass to the far post that Vinicius caught without opposition, converting his fourth goal in this Champions League.

There was time left for Liverpool, but the wound was already open and Courtois reappeared. First deflecting a powerful thread from Salah. Then drawing another providential hand in the 80th when Diogo Jota deflected a shot from the Egyptian player himself. And again a minute later, taking a point-blank shot from Salah to a corner with his body again in a one-on-one between the two. Immeasurable Courtois gives a new title to Real Madrid on another magical white night.