Goal Liverpool
The Reds have done it now. Divock Origi corralled a loose ball off a corner kick and smacked it past Hugo Lloris for the score that should hand Liverpool its first European Cup since 2005.
Tottenham getting desperate, and it shows
Finally, this is the match we bargained for. Harry Kane seems to have emerged from his daze to at least take some touches for Tottenham, which has done much better pressing downfield into the attacking half. Dele Alli has been a positive influence distributing in the midfield and Son Heung-min has provided a burst of energy. For Liverpool, Salah is playing the game supporters wished he had last year, when he was knocked out with an early shoulder injury. He’s aggressive, mobile and finding open space. Now, can his teammates hold off Spurs’ desperation push in the final 10 minutes?
Spurs miss a chance
What a wasted chance for Tottenham in the 70th minute. Spurs swung the ball in and around the 18-yard box left and right and left again, but came up utterly empty. The sequence ended with a feeble cross into the box that Reds’ keeper Alisson snatched up with no trouble, and nearly led to a scoring chance for Mohamed Salah.
Tottenham tries to make its move
Here is Spurs’ go for broke move, and really the only card manager Mauricio Pochettino can play to drum up some offense. Lucas Moura, who scored three goals in the semifinal against Ajax, came on in the 65th minute for Harry Winks. Tottenham is in desperate need of a change of pace and to possess the ball in the attacking half. But Liverpool has been content to boot the ball the length of the field on defense, which has certainly been effective, but terribly boring.
Game’s first subs are for Liverpool
Divock Origi, who scored two goals against Barcelona in the semifinal, entered as a substitute for Roberto Firmino in the 58th minute. James Milner also entered as a substitute for Gini Wijnaldum, who scored two goals against Barcelona in the semifinal, in the 62nd minute.
Halftime: Liverpool 1, Tottenham 0
Through 45 minutes, the Champions League final risks turning into a snoozer unless both Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur can find their form. The Reds lead, 1-0, on a Mohamed Salah penalty in the opening minutes, but after the wild start, neither side seemed capable of mustering much offense, let alone clean play.
From two teams that combined to score seven goals in miraculous comebacks in their second-leg semifinal matches, the first half Saturday yielded a combined eight shots (with only one on target) and eight corners (only two for Spurs). The teams were even stingy with fouls: only four to go around.
Tottenham held 63 percent of possession, but most of that time was spent knocking the ball back and forth between defenders. Harry Kane, the team’s top goal scorer back from injury after 53 days, was a nonfactor.
Not that Liverpool was much better. After Salah’s penalty, Andrew Robertson had a nice chance late, a screamer that Hugo Lloris had to flick over the crossbar, but the Reds have been hamstrung by any attempt to play attacking balls behind the defense.
It all added up to a first half that lived up to the billing on its weird factor — what else could we expect after the two oddest semifinals European soccer has seen — but light on action. If Tottenham wants to capture its first European cup, that will have to change in the final 45 minutes.
Things settle down — other than a fan on the pitch
Well, this match has slowed down considerably. Since the early handball situation, the two sides have managed a single shot and combined for three corners. The most exciting moment other than Salah’s penalty may have been when a female fan dressed in a bathing suit got on the pitch and ran all the way to midfield, stopping play briefly in the 18th minute.
Spurs have excelled at passing the ball between their defenders, but can’t drum up anything on the attack. Liverpool looks a bit better in possession, but has been sloppy in the midfield. The game is there for the taking if either team can get its act together.
Goal Liverpool
What a bizarre start, and for Liverpool, what a perfect start. Not even a minute into the action, Sadio Mane tried to cross a ball through Tottenham’s 18-yard box when Moussa Sissoko got caught with his arm out barking defensive instructions. The cross smacked Sissoko’s chest, then upper arm, and the referee awarded Liverpool a penalty kick. Mohamed Salah’s finish was never in doubt.
