Real Madrid v Liverpool: Champions League player ratings

Real Madrid

Keylor Navas: Little chance of preventing Mane’s effort. The Costa Rican had earlier done well to save from Alexander-Arnold while unsighted and made a handful of useful interventions. 7

Dani Carvajal: Distraught after being forced off through injury for the second final in a row. The Spain international had offered good support going forward but a wayward back-pass for a corner belied nerves. 6

Sergio Ramos: His degree of culpability in Salah’s injury will be debated for a long time to come. Aside from that incident he provided a calm head at the back, tackling and blocking against the Reds’ lively attackers. 7

AS IT HAPPENED: Real Madrid v Liverpool

READ MORE: Gareth Bale stunner downs Reds amid Loris Karius howlers

READ MORE: Mohamed Salah in tears as Champions League final ends and could miss World Cup

Raphael Varane: Did more than anyone to keep Real’s heads above water during Liverpool’s aggressive start, positioning himself well and snuffing out threats. 7

Marcelo: Grew into the game as it progressed and became an important extra body in the final third as Real’s dominance grew. Crossed for Gareth Bale’s wonder goal and made his presence felt throughout. 8

Casemiro: The nominal shield in front of the Spanish side’s defence, he did his job smartly enough and ensured Roberto Firmino’s movement did not create gaps. 7

Luka Modric: Not a masterclass from the veteran playmaker but he was reliably elegant on the ball and proved an adroit link-up man as well as making an important early tackle to deny Sadio Mane. 7

Toni Kroos: Moved the ball more than anyone else and did so with his customary efficiency. Picked a couple of astute passes and kept going when Liverpool’s central unit flagged. 7

Isco: Stroked the ball against the crossbar early in the second half after Liverpool lapsed at the back. Otherwise failed to live up to his lofty billing as he fell short of the required tempo. 5

Karim Benzema: Justified his selection with a selfless and high-calibre outing up front. Did plenty of hard yards and earned his reward with a smart reaction to Loris Karius’ brain fade. 8

Cristiano Ronaldo: Found himself marginalised for much of the match. Remonstrated with team-mates and opponents alike when things were in the balance and made some average decisions. 6

Substitutes:

Nacho (for Carvajal, 37): Called on in the first half and provided steady work in Carvajal’s stead. Volleyed wide. 6

Gareth Bale (for Isco, 61): An X-factor performance from a player who has seen his seat at the top table of Spanish football questioned. Now the proud owner of one of the Champions League’s most memorable goals. 9

Marco Asensio (for Benzema, 89): A late cameo to soak up the atmosphere. 5

Liverpool

Loris Karius: Guilty of a pair of gaffes he may never recover from in the biggest game of his career. His calamitous lack of care gifted Real the lead and he doubled down on his horror show by throwing in Gareth Bale’s long-ranger. 2

Trent Alexander-Arnold: The youngest player on the pitch made light of his relative inexperience in the opening exchanges and came close to opening the scoring with a stinging drive. Faded as the Spaniards found their feet and lost influence. 6

Dejan Lovren: A strong physical presence early on and made at least one crucial block at 0-0. His bullish header provided the assist for Sadio Mane’s equaliser and he did well against Cristiano Ronaldo. 7

Virgil van Dijk: Calm and assured at the back and pushed the ball up into midfield quickly. Offered a target at corners but perhaps needed to do more as a leader given the team’s setbacks. 6

Andy Robertson: The first Scotsman to appear in a Champions League final since Paul Lambert in 1997 was a credit to his nation. A relentless and reliable outlet on the left and came up with a goal-saving challenge to rob Ronaldo and keep his side alive at 2-1 down. 8

James Milner: Rightly lauded for his efforts this season but could not find a way to stamp his authority on the game. Tactically disciplined but essentially kept a holding pattern. 6

Jordan Henderson: A proud night as he led his club on a historic occasion but while he helped shuttle the ball forward in the first half-hour, he could not rally his team-mates through deed or words when events turned sour. 6

Georginio Wijnaldum: Saw plenty of possession in the opening skirmishes and worked hard but as the evening called for something more inspirational he came up against his limitations. 6

Sadio Mane: Worried Real with his pace as he hung on the shoulder waiting for his chance. He did not err when the moment came and struck the post with a fizzing effort later on. Enhanced his status in a losing cause. 8

Mohamed Salah: The cruellest of ends to the most stellar of seasons. The prolific forward was wrestled to the ground by Sergio Ramos and, after trying to carry on, left the field in tears after less than half an hour. 6

Roberto Firmino: Played his usual impressive hand, leading from the front but working the angles and bringing others into play. Lost something after Salah’s departure and ended up feeding on scraps. 7

Substitutes:

Adam Lallana (for Salah, 30 mins): Given a major, if unexpected role, after his injury-ruined season. Found the intensity too much and slack in possession. 5

Emre Can (for Milner, 83): Arrived late to relieve Milner but had little impact. 5