How Real Madrid edged Europe’s elite clubs to win their 14th UCL title

Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. scored a solitary goal in the second half to enable Real Madrid to win against a star-packed Liverpool side yesterday evening.

The match had lots of mixed expectations before the kick-off. Liverpool strolled to the final, earning comfortable wins over resilient Villareal in the semifinal after having easy runs in the quarter-final, round 16 and the group stages. But on the other side, Real Madrid remained a dark horse and had to prove doubters wrong on the way. The Los Blancos battled a tough Manchester City side in the semifinal, former champions Chelsea in the quarter-final and the Spanish giants PSG in the round of 16.

For a team that had relied heavily on Karim Benzema, Vinicius Jr and occasional heroics from Rodrygo, odds were slightly against Real Madrid in their quest to lift the trophy. The match was coming at a time when Mo Salah, the Egyptian attacker who had vowed revenge against the Spanish giants, was readying his arsenal to make a statement. But this was not going to be his time.

Liverpool looked dangerous in the first half, with Naby Keita forcing Thibaut Courtois to make occasional saves. However, Benzema had a goal ruled offside before the end of the first half. Vinicius Jr then scored on the near post to make it 1-0 in favour of the serial champions, who held on firmly to see the game out. Los Blancos won their 14th Uefa Champions League title and a fourth for Carlo Ancelotti.