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Real Madrid Win The Champions League For The Third Time In A Row

Real Madrid Win The Champions League For The Third Time In A Row

In a dramatic night in Kyiv the headlines belonged to Mo Salah, Loris Karius and Gareth Bale all for very different reasons.

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

Real Madrid won the Champions League for the third year in a row thanks to a brace from Gareth Bale as Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius had an awful night in Ukraine as Real won 3-1.

The least you can hope for from a final is that it's interesting and the Champions League final on Saturday night between Real Madrid and Liverpool certainly gave us a lot of interest.

The first half started with Liverpool in charge and Real struggling against the front three of Sadio Mane, Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino but a controversial shoulder injury to the Egyptian, after Sergio Ramos hauled him down, resulted in a swing in momentum that the Reds would never recover from.

Gareth Bale came off the bench to score a match winning brace in the second half. The Welshman took just over two minutes, after replacing Isco, to score possibly the greatest goal in Champions League history.

His second goal, and the one that wrapped up the title for Real, was a horrific mistake from Loris Karius. The Liverpool goalkeeper had already been at fault for Los Blancos going behind when he threw the ball at Karim Benzema with the ball rolling in.

There was nothing Karius could do about Bale's first but he was at fault for the other two. Image: PA Images
There was nothing Karius could do about Bale's first but he was at fault for the other two. Image: PA Images

Sadio Mane had levelled at 1-1 to give Jurgen Klopp's side hope but in truth the moment that Salah went off injured, with tears in his eyes and his World Cup hopes potentially also over, the Reds were fighting a losing battle.

Before the game it was being built up as Salah vs Cristiano Ronaldo with the winner of the game expected to be the winner of this year's Ballon d'Or but in the end neither man was able to show his best.

Salah has to go off injured. Image: PA Images
Salah has to go off injured. Image: PA Images

The former Roma man went off before the first half was over, with scenes reminiscent of Ronaldo coming off in the final of the 2016 Euros for Portugal, whilst the former Manchester United man was outshone by Benzema and Bale, two men rumoured to be leaving the Bernabeu in the summer.

Before last year's final no team had ever won the Champions League twice in a row, now Real have won it three times in a row, it's incredible history making by Zidane, Ronaldo, Bale and the whole side.

Heartbreak for Salah and Karius.

Featured Image Credit:

Topics: Liverpool, Football News, gareth bale, champions league final, Karim Benzema, Champions League, Mo Salah, Loris Karius, Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid