But nothing, absolutely nothing, about their 13th triumph in this competition was ordinary. Not the performance of Gareth Bale, who elevated further one of the great British football careers with perhaps the greatest substitute performance in a major final. Not either of the goals Bale scored and not the pains that Liverpool endured. They lost Mohamed Salah, then their goalkeeper lost the plot, and they were left feeling like they’d lost it all. The long journey back from Kiev will be desolate and nightmare-ridden.

Source: The Times May 26, 2018 23:04 UTC