One way or another, a Premier League power is set to be crowned the king of Europe.
Liverpool and Tottenham have descended on Madrid, where they’ll battle for the Champions League title at Atletico Madrid’s Estadio Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday. It marks the second straight Champions League final for Liverpool, which fell to Real Madrid 3-1 in Ukraine last year in a match marred by an early injury to Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian returns to lead the Reds vs. Tottenham, with both sides having completed improbable comebacks from three goals down in the semifinals–Liverpool vs. Barcelona, Tottenham vs. Ajax–to reach the title stage.
Liverpool is in search of its sixth Champions League title, and its first since it made another three-goal comeback–its 2005 triumph vs. AC Milan in Istanbul. Tottenham, meanwhile, has never won Europe’s top prize, and its place in the final is even more impressive when considering that it hasn’t had an incoming transfer in a year thanks to a stingy spending policy and that Harry Kane missed the second leg of the quarterfinals and the entirety of the semifinals with an ankle injury.
Kane was picked to start despite his recent inactivity, with Mauricio Pochettino dropping semifinal hero Lucas Moura to the bench to make way.
It took Liverpool less than 30 seconds to enjoy a dream start. Sadio Mane’s attempted cross in the box hit off Moussa Sissoko’s extended arm, gifting Liverpool a penalty 25 seconds in. After a video review, the penalty was upheld, and Salah beat Hugo Lloris from the spot to give the Reds a 1-0 lead. The goal (1:48 in) was the second fastest in a Champions League final next to Paolo Maldini’s strike 50 seconds in for AC Milan vs. Liverpool in ’05.
Tottenham settled into the match quite well in the minutes that followed, not really threatening Alisson’s goal, but having the better of the ball. Son Heung-min nearly broke through in the 20th minute on the breakaway, but Trent Alexander-Arnold did well to recover and tackle the ball off the South Korean’s foot before he could enter the danger zone.
On the other end, Salah had a half chance, turning on Jan Vertonghen and lofting a left footed chance over the bar, with Mane appearing to call for the cross that never came.
Liverpool’s next chance came through an unlikely source, with left Andy Robertson forcing Lloris into a save with a powerful long-range blast, which the Frenchman could only put over the bar and out for a corner in the 38th minute.
