Champions League

[serghei]

Klopp for me still not a choker. Liverpool did their thing. Solid pressure recovering ball keep in team build up. Players were shite with the crosses but still created enough chances.

Granted not their best game, but should have been enough.

I think that they lost steam. Liverpool technically is not elite. They were elite at intensity and pressing, but today they didn't show they were physically better than Madrid. And in these circumstances, the experience of Madrid and their clutch players won them the game.

Also, for all the credit to this Liverpool team, they kind of cross the ball and exploit defensive blunders from the other teams. Madrid were rock solid today at the back, no spills, not bad clearances, no fuck-ups. In these circumstances, Liverpool needed to come out with something special.

They simply lack special players to combine in small spaces and carve Madrid open centrally. They are very pedestrian in this sense.

The closest player they have of that technical ability is Thiago, and as one poster said, he's basically a pound shop version of Xavi or Iniesta.

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

Honestly disagree. Liverpool were definitely playing afraid. Started to look more like themselves after they shipped the first goal.

Yeah, Liverpool lost their mojo totally after Reals first goal.

 

[Richard.H]

I would argue PSG and City had better chances to beat RM. if PSG had a front 3 that gave a rats ass about tracking back even to the halfway line, we wouldn’t be here. Liverpool faces much easier competition to this final, RM beat all the top dogs

 

[Fati_Future_BallonDor]

Honestly disagree. Liverpool were definitely playing afraid. Started to look more like themselves after they shipped the first goal.

it's a cl final so it's normal for the players to be a bit nervous but they got tons of chances and without Courtois they would have scored at least 2

 

[Temptation]

Would put it this way: We created more than enough to win the game.

Any normal goalkeeping performance would mean we win 2 1 or something. But this will be an iconic goalkeeping performance where he let nothing go in.

 

[utility73]

Liverpool played more cautious than they usually would. Still way way better than in their previous finals under Klopp.

They created a lot of chances, including enough high quality ones, tonight to win this, and it was mostly due to the perfect performance of Courtois denying all of them.

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

I meant they started to play like they usually do after they conceded , before that they played way too conservative imo.

Really? I thought Liverpool was great first half but second half they lost the plot

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

Would put it this way: We created more than enough to win the game.

Any normal goalkeeping performance would mean we win 2 1 or something. But this will be an iconic goalkeeping performance where he let nothing go in.

True. This was sensational performance by Courtois.

 

[Horatio]

Honestly disagree. Liverpool were definitely playing afraid. Started to look more like themselves after they shipped the first goal.

Not always as sharp in attack but was incredible how they won most aerials and controlled ball and kept in team and dont think they ever misplaced a pass(not looking at long forward passes). Owh i do remember the allison fuckup after the goal got disallowed but other than that none I believe.

How would you like to see them have played? More risks? Dunno can cost you on the counter.

Feel like courtois made them look worse than they were. Any other keeper and they won 2-1/3-1 here and klopp would be hailed genius.

 

[te amo barca]

Would put it this way: We created more than enough to win the game.

Any normal goalkeeping performance would mean we win 2 1 or something. But this will be an iconic goalkeeping performance where he let nothing go in.

He was great but nothing superhuman. You just did not create a truly clear cut chance like Madrid did with their goal. That was unsaveable for the gk. But yeah, if MatS or Rulli plays for them today, you score 3-4 goals

 

[serghei]

Would put it this way: We created more than enough to win the game.

Any normal goalkeeping performance would mean we win 2 1 or something. But this will be an iconic goalkeeping performance where he let nothing go in.

Marginally. Don't be fooled by those 20 shots or something. The big chances were scarce and in between. Maybe 3-3 or something. Let's not forget that besides the goal, Benzema missed a 1 vs 1 in the first half with that disallowed goal, and Ceballos missed a sitter too.

I struggle to find 3 big chances missed by Liverpool. They put pressure, but the big chances weren't there and they were abysmal in defense, especially on Trent vs Vinicius.

Liverpool was all bark, little bite.

 

[malvolio]

Would put it this way: We created more than enough to win the game.

Any normal goalkeeping performance would mean we win 2 1 or something. But this will be an iconic goalkeeping performance where he let nothing go in.

Nah, your shots were shit. Resorting to balls wide and then crossing aimlessly just didn't work.

Now hiding behind the Courtois performance when your boys shit the bed.

 

[KingLeo10]

I think that they lost steam. Liverpool technically is not elite. They were elite at intensity and pressing, but today they didn't show they were physically better than Madrid. And in these circumstances, the experience of Madrid and their clutch players won them the game.

Also, for all the credit to this Liverpool team, they kind of cross the ball and exploit defensive blunders from the other teams. Madrid were rock solid today and they needed to come out with something special.

They simply lack special players to combine in small spaces and carve Madrid open. They are very pedestrian in this sense.

Early in the season when people were losing their minds over Bayern and Pool model in CL, I made a post comparing Barca, RM, Pool, and Bayern CL KO records vs. big teams in their "golden eras"

Barca 06-15 had a W percentage of 70% (4 CLs)
Madrid 11-22 had a W percentage of 75% (probably closer to 80% now) (5 CLs)

Bayern 10-22 had a W percentage of under 50% (2 CLs)
Pool 17-22 had a W percentage of under 50% (1 CL)

So, the superstar driven model is superior for big trophies because superstars transcend tactical errors and other random factors. You just need to phase out the superstars appropriately like RM do (better than us).

 

[utility73]

Just hypothetical off course but if you take goalkeepers out of tonights performance a 3:0, 3:1 or 4:1 would probably have been the most representative results.

 

[Temptation]

Nah, your shots were shit. Resorting to balls wide and then crossing aimlessly just didn't work.

Now hiding behind the Courtois performance when your boys shit the bed.

If your boy MATS played, we'd win 4-1.

Is that clear?