Vinicius Junior scored the final goal as Real Madrid beat Liverpool 1-0 in the late UEFA Champions League final in Paris on Saturday.
The kick-off was postponed for more than 30 minutes as Liverpool fans struggled to get a chance to enter the Stade de France, eventually taking their place to see Jurgen Klopp’s men take control of much of the trial.
But Real Madrid scored a crucial goal in the 59th minute when Vinicius released his fourth match of the season – in one of Blancos’ four attempts.
Liverpool running in the Premier League have been denied a series of excellent tests from Thibaut Courtois on both sides of the strike, with Carlo Ancelotti’s side holding on for the 14th European Cup – seven more than any other team.
Liverpool started confidently following the delay and only failed to take the lead within 20 minutes to open two beautiful stops from Courtois.
The Real Madrid goalkeeper came down quickly to block Mohamed Salah’s effort, before scoring Sadio Mane’s powerful goal on the post.
Madrid thought they were leading just before half-time when Karim Benzema hit home after being slapped in defense of Liverpool but was ruled out as an offside against France – a VAR-confirmed decision after a lengthy review.
They should not have been denied just before the hour, however, when Vinicius stole behind Trent Alexander-Arnold to turn Federico Valverde’s low ball into the penalty area.
Courtois made an important save from Salah in the final 20 minutes – the last eye-catching one – to record an impressive game and ensure Ancelotti’s boys wanted a winning record.