'The National's' Andy Mitten was inside the Stade de France in Paris

'Liverpool played well but Courtois was incredible': Andy Mitten's UCL final reaction



Real Madrid clinched a record-extending 14th European Cup on Saturday night after a 1-0 win over Liverpool at the Stade de France in Paris.

Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior scored the only goal of the game in the 59th minute, tapping home Federico Valverde's inch-perfect cross. Liverpool had numerous chances to score but were denied by the excellence of Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

As Madrid celebrated a fifth Champions league triumph in 10 years, Liverpool were left to rue a missed opportunity to complete a treble having won the League Cup and FA Cup. The Reds also suffered a heartbreaking final day of the Premier League season when Manchester City fought back from two goals down against Aston Villa to win 3-2 and pip Jurgen Klopp's side to the title by one point.

However, the Champions League final was marred by chaotic scenes outside the stadium as thousands of mainly Liverpool fans were denied entry and large crowds formed outside barricades. Local police even fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, with Uefa blaming "fake tickets" for the problems while kick-off was delayed by 36 minutes.

Liverpool said they were "hugely disappointed" that their supporters had been subjected to an "unacceptable" breakdown of the security perimeter at France's national stadium, while Reds defender Andrew Robertson described the organisation as a "shambles".

In the video above, Andy Mitten reflects on the Champions League final and an "incredible" performance from Madrid keeper Courtois.

Champions League final player ratings

LIVERPOOL RATINGS: Alisson Becker - 6. The Brazilian had little to do but got into a muddle for the disallowed goal. Some of his expeditions out of his area verged on erratic. AFP
Updated: May 29, 2022, 7:39 AM