Real Madrid beat Liverpool 1-0 in the Champions League final in Paris, last night, to win their fourteenth European Cup. This is twice as many times as any other European side have won, in the history of this competition. 

This is also the third time the Premier League side have faced the La Liga giants in the finals, making it the most for any club in the history of the competition. Head to head, Liverpool won the 1981 final, which was in Paris too. Madrid beat Liverpool in the 2018 final, in Kyiv, spurring Liverpool’s drive to get even with Los Blancos. 

However, the 2022 Champions League final again saw Madrid, under Carlo Ancelotti, win the highest European glory. With that, the 62-year-old Italian made a personal record, of winning the Champions League most times as a manager. His record four wins include two for AC Milan in 2002-2003 and 2006-2007, and two for Real Madrid in 2013-2014 and 2021-2022. 

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The Merseyside coach, Jurgen Klopp, on the other hand, has to live with the record of being the manager to lose the most Champions League finals, with three defeats. Apart from the two times coaching Liverpool, he went to the last stage with Borussia Dortmund, losing 2-1 to Bayern Munich. 

Despite Liverpool’s loss, which has the Reds and their fans down, the team remained probing throughout the game, testing Madrid’s defences. Mohamed Salah had six shots on target, which is the highest any player has had since the 2003-2004 season, but the Egyptian was denied by Thibaut Courtois, whose nine saves also made a record for any keeper within this same time. 

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The Anfield side had five shots on target in the first half itself, twice the number of total shots they had in the last two Champions League finals – the 2018 and 2019 tournaments. 

Despite the defeat, Klopp remained confident that Liverpool would stay competitive and bounce back. “Where’s the final next year? Istanbul? Book the hotel”, the 54-year-old told fans.