Spurs beaten 2-0 in all-Premier League Final
UEFA Champions League Final: Tottenham Hotspur 0, Liverpool 2
Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid. Attendance: 63,272
They are two of the brightest, most respected and admired managers in our Premier League, and for one of them the 2019 Champions League Final would provide their breakthrough moment – their first trophy. Not a bad first trophy either, eh?
To Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool the spoils. To Mauricio Pochettino and Tottenham Hotspur, a near miss, sympathy, and an extra dose of motivation for next season.
Liverpool 2, Spurs 0 was the result, and Klopp duly delivered Liverpool’s sixth European Cup/Champions League trophy – placing them third in the all-time winners list behind Real Madrid and AC Milan.
As a spectacle, however – well, we’ve all seen a lot better. It was a cagey final, perhaps too route-one at times, and sadly, considering how many creative players were on the pitch, there was a frustrating paucity of invention.
This has been a long and draining season for these clubs, which showed in a lot of their play. They’d also had to kick their heels for around three weeks since the end of the Premier League season, which wasn’t ideal preparation either.
And just how much their respective pyrotechnics in their semi-final’s had taken out of them – against Barcelona and Ajax – is anyone’s guess. Both were absolutely sensational football matches and perhaps it’s churlish, after those, to even mildly criticise this final.
The obvious familiarity between the two sides probably added to the general stodginess of the game, but in fairness, these negatives couldn’t detract from the occasion – the strongest and biggest cup competition in club football, contested by two English Clubs – this was still a must-see contest dripping with significance.
The game was less than a minute old when Spurs, incredibly, conceded a penalty. Sadio Mané chipped a ball from just outside the Spurs penalty area, very close to Moussa Sissoko, who for reasons only he will know, was doing a fair impression of a traffic policeman on a podium in Rome City centre. His right arm pointing high and straight to…well, only he probably knows.
Calamitously for him and Spurs, Manė’s chip hit him on the chest and upper arm region, and in this current refereering climate, it was no real surprise to see a penalty given, although there will be many who fail to see the justification.
Mo Salah whacked his penalty hard, too hard for Hugo Lloris to stop it, although the ball only just cleared the keepers’ body. One-nil to Liverpool. Spurs made every effort to get back on level terms but they were looking increasingly leggy as the game went on. Pochettino had started with Harry Kane after his long injury absence, but the England striker looked way off the pace and was feeding off scraps.
Spurs’ midfield struggled at times – Christian Eriksen was especially quiet and Harry Winks struggled to make an impact. Spurs had greater possession, but a significant proportion was of a sideways and/or non-threatening nature.
Liverpool looked relatively happy defending a one-goal lead, and with the imperious Virgil van Dijk marshalling their defence, they looked confident. Whilst their goalkeeper Alisson had little to do in the first half, Spurs finally found some penetration in the second, and he made decent saves from Lucas Moura, Kane, Eriksen and Son Heung-Min.
It was substitute Divock Origi who sealed the win for Liverpool. On 87 minutes, Spurs neglected to clear a corner, and the Belgian hit a lovely controlled shot into the bottom corner past Lloris – game over.
Liverpool’s celebrations were long and loud, with the players inevitably making a huge fuss of Klopp. Huge disappointment for Pochettino and his players of course, but he appears to have an amazingly strong bond with his players – as Klopp does at Liverpool – and there is surely enough quality at Spurs for Pochettino to claim his own breakthrough trophy soon. Their squad strength probably needs addressing, and it will be interesting to see how Chairman Daniel Levy views this in the close season.
As for Liverpool, one always had the feeling that once Klopp had secured one trophy, more would certainly follow, and they appear well placed to achieve that. They pushed Manchester City hard to the last day of the Premier League season before having to settle for second place, with a points total and overall record (just a single league defeat), that would usually have won it.
Their squad is strong, and they are not afraid to spend big if necessary. Attracting quality players to Anfield was never particularly difficult, and as reigning European Champions, they will look even more attractive now.
So, Klopp has done it. Trophy number one duly delivered. It may have taken him nearly four years, but I think it’s a safe bet it won’t take him that long to deliver another. Liverpool are the only team currently challenging Manchester City domestically, and that duel should be compulsive viewing for years to come. Pochettino and Spurs must see themselves as very much in the mix also, and with Arsenal and Chelsea contesting this seasons’ Europa League Final, this is a purple patch for Premier League Clubs in Europe.
The quality last night may not have been the best, but the significance of the win overshadows that. Klopp has arrived as a winning Liverpool manager at last.
By Chris Tribe
2nd June 2019
Copyright © 2019 Chris Tribe. All Rights Reserved.
Photo credit: Copyright © daniel0685 on flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/57511216@N04/6896933019/creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ – with grateful thanks.
Chris Tribe Sportswriting 
Good stuff CT, honest, fair and balanced 🙂
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Thanks Phil – appreciate your comments. Really felt for you at full-time. I honestly think we are so lucky to have such brilliant managers – Poch being one of the best – in the PL these days…it must be great to play for them. Spurs surely have a lot to look forward to. They are so close, have some terrific players – including a lot of English talent in the squad – and if they add some quality depth to their squad in this Summer’s window (which, as I said, I think they need to) – they will be even better placed. Just like Klopp at Liverpool, I think if Poch can secure a first trophy in the near future, it certainly won’t be the last. And even better, all these great managers have a wonderful attacking philosophy, their teams being a joy to watch in full flow. Not only that, they are raising standards everywhere with their ultra-professional approach in all aspects of the game….long may it continue.
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