Liverpool wins Champions League; Former Arsenal player dies in traffic accident
(Baonghean.vn) - Coach Klopp and his team defeated Tottenham 2-0 in the final at Wanda Metropolitano Stadium on the night of June 1. A few hours earlier, the car driven by Antonio Reyes flew off the highway in Spain and burned, killing the player.
Liverpool won the Champions League
In the most exciting Champions League season in history, the final did not have many surprises. Liverpool opened the scoring early with a clever move from Sadio Mane, leading to a penalty. The Merseyside club played slowly and steadily to maintain the gap until the end of the match, when Origi sealed the score. Liverpool became the first team to win the Champions League while having less possession than their opponents, since Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan in 2010.
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| Captain Jordan Henderson lifts the 6th Champions League/C1 trophy in Liverpool's history. Photo: Tactical Times |
This is the first Champions League title for coach Jurgen Klopp, as he lost the previous two finals (with Dortmund in 2013 and Liverpool in 2018). The German coach helped Liverpool continue to be the leader of English football in Europe. With the 6th championship in the Champions League/Cup C1, Liverpool is far ahead of the team with the 2nd most titles in England (Man Utd - 3 titles). In Europe, Liverpool is only behind Real Madrid (13 titles) and Milan (7).
The turning point of the match came in the first half minute, when Liverpool surged forward and were awarded a penalty thanks to a handball by midfielder Sissoko. With the ball on the left wing, Mane crossed inside and hit Sissoko's hand at close range. Slow motion showed the ball also hit the Tottenham midfielder's side. Slovenian referee Damir Skomina did not think long and awarded the penalty to Liverpool. Mr. Skomina also awarded a similar penalty in the second leg of the round of 16 between PSG and Man Utd. From the penalty spot, Salah shot hard into the goal, scoring the only goal of the first half.
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| Salah's decisive shot put Liverpool ahead early. |
Tottenham were not in a hurry after conceding the goal. They did not rush to increase the speed, which made the match lack dangerous opportunities. They put a lot of the ball on Son Heung-min, but the Korean star did not meet expectations. In addition to Salah's goal, the notable situation in the first half was when an overexcited female fan ran onto the field in a "skimpy" state.
Tottenham failed to hit the target in the first half, with their crucial passes lacking precision. The north London club's predicament continued into the second half. Harry Kane was completely shut out by centre-backs Joel Matip and Virgil van Dijk, while Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen lacked the flair to create chances. On the other side of the pitch, Liverpool were also not keen on counter-attacking.
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| Kane played poorly when he first returned from injury. Photo: AP |
As Tottenham increased the pressure, Liverpool counter-attacked and won a corner. From a chaotic situation in the penalty area, the ball fell to Matip and the German midfielder passed it to Divock Origi in one touch. The Belgian striker controlled the ball with his right foot and then shot with his left foot into the far corner. The ball was low, tight and dangerous, making it impossible for Lloris to block. Origi celebrated the goal in a cool style, just like how Liverpool defeated Tottenham.
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| Origi has only had three shots in the Champions League this season, but he has scored three goals. |
Reyes died in an accident
BBC, Sky Sports and many British newspapers simultaneously reported that Jose Antonio Reyes died on the morning of June 1 in a traffic accident. The tragedy occurred when the car Reyes was driving lost control, flew off the A-376 highway connecting his hometown of Utrena to Seville, and then burned down.
Marca said the accident happened at around 11:40 a.m. Madrid time. Reyes' last match was a 1-0 win over Alcorcon on May 18. The former Arsenal player is on a five-month contract with Extremadura. His next match is this Sunday, away to Cadiz.
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| Reyes (right) won the Premier League in his first season at Arsenal. Photo: Reuters. |
In January 2004, Reyes entered a new chapter in his career when he joined Arsenal. He was part of the 2003-04 unbeaten team, winning the Premier League in his first season.
Reyes is also considered the "king" of the Europa League with a total of 5 titles in his career: 2 with Atletico and 3 with Sevilla.