Champions League Final 2-0 | Liverpool defeats Tottenham

Chaos struck the Champions League final seconds after kick-off, but what happened after was the real issue for a host of grumpy fans.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah gestures during a training session at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Friday May 31, 2019. English Premier League teams Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are preparing for the Champions League final which takes place in Madrid on Saturday night. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Live CL

Welcome to our live coverage of the Champions League final.

Liverpool has downed Tottenham to claim the Champions League crown, shooting through a goal in either half to seal the deal in Madrid.

Controversy struck the final minutes into the all-England showdown after Tottenham’s Moussa Sissoko handballed a cross from Sadio Mané. Egyptian superstar Mohamed Salah did the damage in front of the goal, but from there the match turned sloppy with both teams struggling to find rhythm until Liverpool’s Divock Origi sunk a beautiful ball into the corner pocket after a corner in the 88th minute.

6.50am

2-0: Liverpool seals the deal

After 88 minutes of flopping about, the Reds punched the final nail in the coffin and sunk their second goal of the match, courtesy of a brilliant touch from Divock Origi, who sent the ball sailing into the right bottom corner after a corner.

Everyone in Tottenham right now.

5.47am

1-0: Fans lash Champions League snooze-fest

Despite witnessing Champions League history in the first 30 seconds of the final in Madrid, fans have blasted the spectacle as “boring” after the rest of the first half failed to deliver.

Mohamed Salah’s penalty goal — the fastest of all time — in the first minute kicked off an electrifying atmosphere but a collection of shoddy passes and out of character errors from both sides left the world wanting as Liverpool held the 1-0 lead going into halftime.

Can’t help but think the ridiculous time lapse between end of season and the final has contributed to this very strange first half. Hoping second improves but honestly this is dross so far.

— Geoff Shreeves (@GeoffShreeves) June 1, 2019

This is the worst UCL Final I've ever seen.

— Lucas Navarrete (@LucasNavarreteM) June 1, 2019

Can’t remember the last I saw such a scrappy champions league final. So many misplaced passes.

— Rehan Ulhaq (@Rehan_ulhaq) June 1, 2019

Former footballer Dominic Matteo described the display as “sloppy”.

Both teams have been sloppy, both managers will be having words at half-time about the quality, keeping the ball. Tottenham have dominated possession better than Liverpool, which I’m surprised at.

“They’ve had opportunities, especially Spurs in that last five or 10 minutes, when they’ve got in behind the defence but at this level it’s just not been good enough. It’s those details which get you goals and results and neither side have produced any moments of magic for me yet.”

5.24am

Pitch invader makes an appearance

Pussy Riot took the field at World Cup final, now blonde woman breaks onto field during Champions League final. Unsure if she was making a political statement. Seemed quite cheery. pic.twitter.com/shDmAJDNxY

— tariq panja (@tariqpanja) June 1, 2019

5am

1-0: Liverpool strikes early

Well that's not how you do it.

Well that was quick.

Mere seconds after kick-off, the Spurs conceded a penalty via a handball by Moussa Sissoko, who lazily had his arm outstretched as Mane attempted a cross.

“I think Sissoko was trying to tell Trippier to mark the runner who was behind him.

“As he’s gone to do it, it’s been hit at him and with the new rules, if your arm’s up and it hits you, it’s a penalty,” commentator Jamie O’Hara said.

Liverpool’s Mohamed Sala stepped up to the plate and sunk the free shot to bring the score to 1-0 one minute in, making it the fastest goal in the history of Champions League finals.

Paolo Maldini has the fastest goal in Champions League history because he is the most perfect man to ever exist

— Zito (@_Zeets) June 1, 2019

Not a penalty for me #ChampionsLeagueFinal2019 ⚽️

— Harry Maguire (@HarryMaguire93) June 1, 2019

Absurd decision to award a penalty in the first minute of a Champions League Final for that. Sadio Mane sees Sissoko’s arm out and kicks the ball away from the Tottenham goal to take advantage of it.
Welcome to the new ‘natural silhouette’ rules... #TOTLIV #CLFinal

— Duncan Castles (@DuncanCastles) June 1, 2019

“That opener understandably sent Spurs fans into a state of disbelief, but they are starting to raise the noise levels once more, and their team are slowly growing into this one,” Sky reporter Michael Hinks said.

4.40am

Unlikely heroes to shine?

Lucas Moura and Divock Origi have been the unlikely heroes for Tottenham and Liverpool in the Champions League this season.

They kept alive their team’s hopes of winning the European title with crucial goals and decisive performances.

Without them, the English sides probably wouldn’t have made it to Sunday’s final in the Spanish capital.

But despite helping their teams reach the final at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, both may miss out on playing in the match because of the return from injuries of Harry Kane and Mohamed Salah.

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino will have to choose between the in-form Moura and the recently injured Kane, while Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will have to sit Origi or rearrange his attack to leave him in the line-up along with Salah.

Salah & Mane in the building! 🙌#UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/Uw4culphuY

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 31, 2019

Moura has been starting since Kane hurt an ankle ligament in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.

The Brazilian scored the hat trick that allowed Tottenham to come from behind and beat Ajax 3-2 in the second leg of the semi-finals, helping the English club overcome a 1-0 home loss in the first match.

The hat trick included a stoppage-time goal that sealed the comeback and the team’s first-ever final appearance.

“All of this is a dream and now I have the opportunity to play in the final and to win the competition I have always dreamt about,” Moura told UEFA.com.

“Without a doubt it’s the best moment of my career.”

Pure elation for Tottenham.

Complete devastation for Ajax.

Lucas Moura seals his hat-trick and an away-goals win in the 95th minute.#AJATOT #UCL #OptusSport pic.twitter.com/JEZeq1GfNK

— Optus Sport (@OptusSport) May 8, 2019

Origi replaced Salah after the Egyptian had a concussion in a game against Newcastle in the Premier League just before the second leg against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals.

Origi scored a late winner against Newcastle after replacing Salah in the second half, then was crucial in the return match against Barcelona, scoring twice in the 4-0 win that put the team in the final for the second straight season.

WHAT: Champions league final 2019

WHERE: Madrid

WHEN: Sunday June 2 (Aus time)

TIME: 5am AEST

HOW TO WATCH: Stream live on the Optus Sport app