Reborn Liverpool

Chapter 448 The Calm Final

On May 5, the day before the Champions League final, Tottenham and Liverpool's entry lists came out. Tottenham Kane made a comeback and Sun Xingmin was selected.

Tottenham squad list:
Goalkeepers: 1-Lori, 13-Worm, 22-Zaganiga, 41-Whiteman
后卫：2-特里皮尔、3-丹尼-罗斯、4-阿尔德韦雷尔德、5-维尔通亨、6-达文森-桑切斯、16-沃克-皮特斯、21-胡安-福伊斯、24-奥里耶、33-本-戴维斯

中场：8-温克斯、12-万亚马、15-戴尔、17-穆萨-西索科、20-阿里、23-埃里克森、47-乔治-马什、52-奥利弗-斯基普

前锋：7-孙兴慜、10-凯恩、11-拉梅拉、18-略伦特、21-小卢卡斯
As the Champions League final is about to start, Liverpool's injury problem has always been the concern of fans.

Liverpool coach Klopp confirmed in an interview that midfielder Naby Keita is hopeless for a comeback in the final, but Firmino is recovering well, and Liverpool can put on the strongest trident to hit the championship.

Keita was injured in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final between Liverpool and Barcelona. Although there was news of his rapid recovery, Klopp said that Keita still could not catch up with the Champions League final:

"Naby is out of the question. He's recovering well, but he won't be able to make it to the final. We'll have to see if he can play in the Africa Cup of Nations, we're not sure yet."

Klopp also confirmed that Firmino is recovering well:
"Firmino trained last week and looked very good, everything is fine. At the moment we are looking good and I am sure he will be fine."

As for whether Zhang Mai will appear in the starting lineup?Klopp's answer was particularly firm:

"On this planet, unless Zhang Mai himself doesn't want to play, I can't think of any coach who won't let him play!"

Mourinho also predicted the result of the game in an interview. He believes that the two teams are now full of confidence and the game will be fierce. He also pointed out the key players of the two teams:

"I've always said that on the way to the final, the team that has had some special moments will be the hotter. Now it's more interesting that both teams have reached the final in an unbelievable way. Like the giants, now they are completely confident that they can destroy their opponents, that the trophy is mine."

"The key players of the two teams? If I have to choose, because this is the last game, I will choose Van Dijk for Liverpool, and for Tottenham, because there is no Kane, I will choose Eriksson."

"As for Zhang Mai, I don't make a choice, because since he entered professional football, he has never lost any key game, no matter who the opponent is?"

……

On June 6, the Champions League final between Liverpool and Tottenham was about to start. In the Liverpool fan area on the streets of Madrid, the fiery Red Army fans had already ignited their passion ahead of time, igniting Madrid like a red flame.

Before the war, many Liverpool fans gathered in the official fan area. It is said that there are more than 5 Liverpool fans in the official fan area. In fact, the official limit is only 16000.

All the Red Army fans at the scene sang "You'll never walk alone" and other songs in unison to cheer for Liverpool. Judging from the video shot at the scene, Liverpool fans have merged into a sea of ​​red, which is extremely shocking.

In order to report the UEFA Champions League final, various media also did their best. BeIN Sports invited Mourinho and Wenger to comment on the UEFA Champions League final at the Wanda Metropolis.

In fact, Wenger and Mourinho were both specially invited commentators of beIN Sports before, but the two did not comment on the same games. The Champions League final gave them the opportunity to become partners.

Needless to say, there is no need to say more about the grievances and saliva disputes between the two during their coaching period. This time the two partners can be described as full of highlights.

Before the game, beIN Sports also released a video of the two men in the preparation stage of the live broadcast. The two men in white shirts chatted cordially like old friends. Wenger even reached out and touched Mourinho's wrist.

Mourinho also listened carefully to Wenger's speech sideways, nodded frequently, and even smiled in return. The two looked at each other. The tension on the court was gone, and it was full of the tacit understanding and warmth of meeting old friends.

The fans of the Red Army once again became a unique scenery in the stands. The scene where they collectively sang the Liverpool team song "You'll Never Walk Alone" was very shocking.Even the two famous coaches Mourinho and Wenger couldn't help admiring.

The Liverpool fans turned the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium into Liverpool's home stadium. Mourinho and Arsene Wenger, who were commentators on the scene, were also fascinated. see.

Mourinho couldn't help giving a thumbs up, and exclaimed: "This beauty can no longer be described in words."

Wenger also boasted: "This is really unique."

As the two famous coaches in the world, Mourinho and Wenger both value the value of fans very much. The enthusiasm of fans in the stands can often infect the players who are struggling on the field.In tonight's Champions League final, it is clear that Liverpool fans have won the momentum first.

There are a lot of tidbits outside the Wanda Metropolitan Stadium, and the players of the two teams on the court are ready to go.

The two Premier League teams advanced to the final with a super reversal in the second leg of the semi-final.

利物浦本赛季双杀热刺，近14战热刺仅上赛季客负1场，其余13场取得9胜4平，双方历史交锋170场，利物浦79胜43平48负处于优势。

This is the ninth time that Liverpool has reached the Champions League final. The Red Army is looking forward to defending the title and winning the title for the seventh time.

Tottenham became the 40th team to reach the Champions League final and the first since Chelsea in 2008. Tottenham are looking forward to becoming the 23rd team to win the Champions League.

This is Tottenham's fifth European final. They won the UEFA Cup twice and the Cup Winners' Cup once before. They only lost in the UEFA Cup final in 5.

热刺此前3次在马德里作赛2平1负，6次在西班牙作赛3平3负。

This battle is also Liverpool's 21st European final. It has won the championship 12 times before.

The big screen on the sidelines has already displayed the starting lineups of both sides:

Tottenham (4-2-3-1):

1 - Lori;

2-Trippier, 4-Alderweireld, 5-Vertonghen, 3-Ross;

17- Sissoko, 8- Winks;
20- Ali, 23- Eriksson, 7- Sun Xingmin;
10 - Harry Kane.

Liverpool (4-3-3):

13- Alisson;
66-Arnold, 3-Maguire, 4-Van Dijk, 26-Robertson;
14- Henderson, 10- Zhang Mai, 5- Wijnaldum;
11-Salah, 9-Firmino, 10-Mane.

Harry Kane returned from injury in time and made his 50th European appearance.Sun Xingmin came back after lifting the ban, and Lucas Jr., the hero of the comeback in the semifinals, did not start.

Salah and Firmino returned from injury in time. There were 10 players in the starting lineup for last year's final, and Alisson became the only newcomer.

The rock band Magnum sang on top of the world before the game, and the stars of the two teams, Ian Rush and Ledley King, came out with trophies.The former Spanish international Reyes unfortunately passed away in a car accident today, and the audience applauded for him before the game.

After all preparations are over, the Premier League civil war in the Champions League final officially begins.

Just 25 seconds into the battle between Liverpool and Tottenham, the situation on the field suddenly changed!

The game just started, Liverpool launched an offensive, Zhang Mai made a pass, Mane succeeded in countering offside, kicked and passed the ball, the ball hit Sissoko's chest and bounced on his arm, the referee awarded a penalty kick!

You know, this handball happened in the 23rd second of the game, and Liverpool gained a huge advantage!
Then Salah took a penalty kick and made a steady hit. Liverpool led Tottenham 1-0!This is also the fastest penalty kick awarded in the history of the Champions League!

However, this penalty penalty naturally attracted some controversy:
The referee Andujar Oliver, who was interviewed by "Marca" after the game, believed that the referee Skomina should not have judged:

"It was the referee's mistake, the ball hit the chest and bounced off the arm. This situation should not be a penalty, this situation should not apply the maximum penalty, the penalty should not be awarded."

Should it be judged?
The BBC also criticized the referee for taking the penalty too easily:

"If Sissoko's penalties are anything to go by, you're going to see a lot of bad penalties next season. Football is going to be more and more like hockey, kicking the ball into the opponent's arm to win penalties. It's going to be a skill."

However, not everyone thinks that penalties should not be awarded. Robbie Savage said:

"I think it was a penalty, VAR was used in the Champions League, it was a penalty."

In fact, this was the second fastest goal in the Champions League final. The balance of victory fell to Liverpool's side from the beginning, because the team that scored first in the previous three finals won the championship.

The game continued, and Tottenham, who was unexpectedly behind, was not affected at all, and they were still fighting with the Red Army on the field full of fighting spirit.

In the 11th minute, Sun Xingmin's breakthrough on the left side of the penalty area was blocked, Maguire barely made a clearance, and Sissoko volleyed over from 25 yards.

Three minutes later, Zhang Mai made a steal in the frontcourt, Henderson passed the ball, and Arnold shot from 3 yards and missed the left post.

In the 18th minute, Sun Xingmin's almost single-handed breakthrough opportunity was resolved by Arnold in time.

In the 26th minute, Salah and Zhang Mai kicked the wall together and shot from 25 yards, which was blocked by Tottenham defender Alderweireld.

The two sides came and went, and the situation of fighting each other without showing weakness was extremely fierce. At this time, there was another episode on the field.

A daring female fan stormed the pitch, interrupting the game at one point.

Less than a minute into the game, Liverpool took the lead early.The game was deadlocked afterwards, and this episode eased the dullness of the game.

A female fan wearing a high-split swimsuit broke through the defense of the security guards and rushed into the stadium. She ran all the way to the middle circle, and the security guards caught up with her, hugged her, and drove her out of the stadium under control. up the pitch.

This unexpected scene made the players on the field a little confused, but under the pressure of the Champions League final, the players did not dare to be distracted to appreciate this beautiful scene up close.

Both sides avoided their eyes, Salah and other players turned their heads, unable to look directly at the scene.

The prostitute was obviously coming for Zhang Mai. Fortunately, the on-site security guards stopped her at the end, so that Zhang Mai would not be in an embarrassing situation.

According to British media reports, the woman who rushed into the court was named Kinsey Wolanski, a model from Russia. She had her own purpose, which was to promote her boyfriend's pornographic website.

The text on the chest of her swimsuit is the website created by her boyfriend and Zhang Mai's Chinese name.

The ups and downs in the first half finally passed, and the game since then fell into a stalemate. Both teams failed to create scoring opportunities in high confrontation.

In stoppage time, Robertson's shot from the left in front of the penalty area was saved by Lori.

Both sides did not make personnel adjustments during the intermission, and the second half still started with a fierce fast-paced attack.

In the first 5 minutes, Liverpool's offensive was fierce, and both Zhang Mai and Salah's shots were blocked.

In the 52nd minute, Robertson made a pass from the left, and Lori confiscated the ball before Wijnaldum.

Two minutes later, Eriksson made a direct pass, and Ali's shot in front of the penalty area was also blocked.

In the 58th minute, Origi replaced the inactive Firmino.

Shortly thereafter, Eriksson shot wide from the outside.

In the 62nd minute, Liverpool strengthened their defense and Milner replaced Wijnaldum. Three minutes later, Pochettino replaced Winks with Lucas Jr. to strengthen the offensive.

Liverpool almost expanded the score in the 69th minute. Mane broke through and passed the ball, Salah knocked back, Milner shot with his left foot from the edge of the penalty area, and the ball missed the right post.

Then Tottenham quickly counterattacked, Sun Xingmin passed the ball, and Ali shot from the left side of the penalty area and was picked off by Alisson.

In the 74th minute, Tottenham strengthened the midfield interception and Dell replaced Sissoko.

Then Tottenham played a wave of offensive, Trippier made a pass from the right, and Ali headed high in front of the small penalty area.

In the 78th minute, Sun Xingmin's 30-yard long shot was saved, Ross passed the ball, and Lucas Jr.'s 15-yard low shot was confiscated.

Two minutes later, Milner kicked Rose from the edge of the penalty area, and Eriksson's free kick from the upper left corner of the penalty area was saved by Alisson.

In the 84th minute, Sun Xingmin scored a header from an offside position from a close range in a corner kick melee.

Liverpool sealed the victory in the 87th minute. Van Dijk's shot was blocked in the corner kick melee. Maguire passed the ball. Origi shot a low shot from the far corner from the left side of the penalty area 12 yards into the net, 2-0!Liverpool sealed the victory.

Unwilling to fail, Tottenham made a massive attack in the final moments, but unfortunately there was not much time left.

In the 91st minute, Harry Kane broke into the left side of the penalty area and fell under Maguire's defense, but the referee ignored it.

At the end of the game, Liverpool defeated Tottenham 2-0, Salah scored a penalty kick in 108 seconds, and Origi, who came off the bench, sealed the victory before the end.

Liverpool won the Champions League for the seventh time, and Klopp became the first coach to lead the Red Army to two consecutive Champions League titles.

As the final whistle blew, Liverpool officially became the Champions League champions of this season. While these iron-blooded Red Army soldiers reveled, they also shed tears of realizing their dreams.

Having reached the Champions League final for two consecutive years, Liverpool had tasted the joy of the highest honor last season, and this season, they finally won the Champions League again, standing at the pinnacle of Europe.

Only they can experience this kind of joy personally, especially under the miracle of adversity in the semi-finals, it seems that this champion is even more legendary.

After the game, the Red Army players, who have always been known for their iron blood, couldn't hide their excitement. The defense commander Van Dijk squatted on the ground and shed tears.

And captain Henderson couldn't help himself. He threw himself into Klopp's arms, let the tears flow, and hugged the coach and wept.

Two consecutive Big Ears Cups is the biggest affirmation and reward for Liverpool in the past two seasons!
Only Zhang Mai was the calmest, with a bit of reluctance in his joy, because he knew that this was his last game in the Red Army.

In the Champions League final, Tottenham were defeated and unfortunately missed the championship. Pochettino's myth of winning the Champions League with 0 investment was finally shattered.

But even so, this Tottenham team still deserves applause and respect.

In the case of no buyer for two consecutive transfer windows, it is already a miracle that Pochettino led this young guard to secure the top four in the Premier League and reach the Champions League final.

Due to the construction of the new stadium, Tottenham are now on the old path of Arsenal, and the team has to tighten their money. Last summer window and this year's winter window, Tottenham didn't spend a penny, and no one bought it.

Pochettino is relying on internal potential to keep the team at the top level in Europe. It is a miracle that it has secured the top four in the powerful Premier League and reached the final of the Champions League all the way.

Compared with other Premier League powerhouses, how difficult is Pochettino and Tottenham:
利物浦去年夏天花了1.64亿引援才打造出如今的冠军阵容；切尔西也花了1.23亿补强；曼联和曼城则分别花了7400万和6400万；就连一向抠门的阿森纳都砸了7000万。

And Tottenham's signing expenditure is 0, the bottom of the Premier League!

But even so, Pochettino still did not let Tottenham fall behind. Compared with the poor performance and results of Manchester United and Arsenal, you can better appreciate Pochettino's greatness.

Although it failed to achieve the myth of winning the Champions League with 0 investment, Tottenham has now grown into a new force that cannot be ignored in Europe. Pochettino is already the top coach that all the giants pay attention to. Guards, still worth looking forward to.

(End of this chapter)