Real Madrid vs Liverpool player ratings: Loris Karius in Champions League final horror show as Gareth Bale shines

A player-by-player look at the two teams

Saturday 26 May 2018 22:21

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Real Madrid lift the Champions League trophy

Real Madrid secured a historic third successive Champions League title on Saturday night after beating Liverpool 3-1 in Kiev.

Goals from Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale (2) - with the help of Loris Karius - secured victory for Zinedine Zidane's men whose experience on the main stage saw them through to victory.

Sadio Mane drew Liverpool level after Benzema's opener but the Reds quickly found themselves trailing again after Bale's sublime volley.

A second Karius mistake handed Real's third to kill the game with seven minutes left on the clock.

The win is a third in succession and a record 13th overall for the Spanish giants.

Real Madrid vs Liverpool, Champions League final - player ratings

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1/23Real Madrid vs Liverpool, Champions League final - player ratings

Punched clear an early Liverpool shot and got down well to deny Alexander-Arnold’s strike. Should have acted more decisively for Mane’s goal. Solid performance in all.

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Forced off early with an injury. Prior to then, his notable contribution to the match was a wild cross-field pass to Sergio Ramos that ended up rolling out for a Liverpool corner.

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As ever, asserted his physicality well from the back – as seen with his challenge on Salah. Put in an important interception to deny Mane a second around 70 minutes.

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Followed his captain’s lead. A solid force at the back.

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Dangerous when roaming inwards. Misplaced a few passes but provided assist for Gareth Bale’s stunning volley.

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A strong first half in particular, completing more passes than anyone else on the pitch. Kept Liverpool away from the ball in the second 45 minutes.

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Not as smooth an operator as his midfield teammates but still played an integral role.

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Barely noticed him – which is exactly what he’s there for. Kept Real’s midfield ticking over smoothly with his tidy and slick passing. The footballing equivalent of an electric engine.

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Missed a golden opportunity after the restart, hitting the crossbar instead. Failed to properly get going and was replaced just after the hour mark by Bale.

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The hero of the match. Scored arguably one of the best goals ever in a Champions League final to put Real back in front before killing off the game with a second. Showed his class and worth to Real.

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Failed to have the same effect as he did in last year’s final. Had the opportunity to put the game to bed but, under pressure from Robertson, failed to find the target.

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Smart and shrewd in clinching Real’s first. Not pretty in the slightest – not that’ll he mind. An industrious performance.

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A calamity. Essentially handed Real victory with two mistakes that shouldn't be made at this level. The less said about them the better. The German will be feeling the pain of defeat more than anyone else in this Liverpool side. It's important now he gets the necessary support he'll need moving forward.

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Hit a stinging strike inside Madrid’s box that was blocked by Navas. Got forward well and held his nerve in the biggest game of his career to date.

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Mixed performance. At times he read the game well and put in some important interceptions but this was offset against the occasional mistake. Faded away in confidence.

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Calm and composed for much of the game. Held his line well to catch Real out with offside on a number of occasions. Not much he could do about the goals.

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Looked comfortable up against Real’s front line. Showed real heart and desire with a last-ditch tackle to stop Ronaldo from scoring.

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Marshalled Liverpool’s midfield well to ensure the side maintained their high press for the first 60 minutes of the game. Never stopped running and did the basics well.

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Worked his socks off but flew under the radar somewhat.

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Stepped in for the injured Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Injected a degree of energy to Liverpool’s midfield and worked hard in the press. Another player to fade away.

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The winger’s evening was brought to an early end in heart-breaking fashion after being fouled by Sergio Ramos. Up until that point the Egyptian had had little say on the match.

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Went missing for far too much of the match. Failed to deliver on the main stage.

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A case of right time, right place for the forward, who met Lovren’s header with a close-range volley to draw Liverpool level. Later hit the post. Stepped up in Salah’s absence.

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So how did the two teams fare? See the gallery above for our player ratings.

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