Source:Xinhua Published: 2019/6/2 7:27:18
Liverpool won their sixth Champions League after riding their luck to beat Tottenham Hotspurs 2-0 in the Wanda Metropolitano stadium here on Saturday.
Mohamed Salah scored a second minute penalty for Liverpool who had to withstand severe second half pressure from their rivals before Divock Origi netted their second goal with just three minutes on the clock.
Liverpool enjoyed the luck they didn't have in last season's defeat to Real Madrid, while Tottenham paid the price for failing to take the chances they created through their second half pressure.
Tottenham's Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino took a risk by including Harry Kane and Harry Winks in his starting 11 after both had missed the past two months through injury.
That decision meant that Lucas Moura, who scored a hat-trick in the semifinal had to settle for a place on the bench.
Meanwhile, Liverpool's German coach Jurgen Klopp included Roberto Firmino in his side after recent muscle problems for the Brazilian.
The game was less than 30 seconds old when the referee awarded Liverpool a penalty after Sissoko was adjudged to have handed Sadio Mane's cross on the edge of the Spurs area and the Tottenham midfielder did have his arm extended away from his body.
Salah, substituted so painfully last year against Real Madrid, made no mistake as he drilled his penalty past Hugo Lloris and into the center of the Tottenham goal.
It was a scrappy first half with Tottenham having more of the ball, but failing to create chances against a well-drilled Liverpool defense and the best chance of the half fell to Liverpool left back Andy Robertson, who ran 40 meters before his left-foot shot went high.
Tottenham's only real chance was sent over the bar by Christian Eriksen just before halftime, but they dominated the second half as Liverpool surrendered possession.
Son Hueng Min was a constant threat with his pace as was Moura who replaced Winks, but despite dominating the ball and putting several dangerous crosses into the area, Spurs failed to create enough clear chances.
Eriksen saw a free kick parried away by Alissen, who also blocked a long range effort from Son and Moura's follow up, before Origi took advantage of a loose ball following a corner to seal Liverpool's win.