Gakpo robs Camavinga 25 yards from goal. Henderson feeds the loose ball back towards Gakpo, who glides into the area… and then slips over. That was a great chance. Rudiger was coming across, but that meant Gakpo would have been able to play a simple square pass to the unmarked Salah had he stayed on his feet.
He is technically superb. I just hope he doesn’t get booked in this one. It could be feisty and he tends to always get booked. It was overshadowed by the chaos and the phallic goalkeeping, but I thought he was absurdly good when he came on in the final. Strolled on at left-back, not even his best position, and didn’t put a foot wrong.
Real Madrid continue to look dangerous at both ends. Carvajal’s clear, cushioned header releases Rodrygo in the area, but his low cross is behind Benzema. Thibaut Courtois, the man of the match in last year’s final, has had a shocker. He controlled a bouncing backpass from Carvajal and then, while shaping to pass it to one of his defenders, inadvertently kneed it straight to Salah, who had pressed Courtois just in case. Salah couldn’t believe his luck and flicked it fleefully into the net.
Chance for Salah! Liverpool break thrillingly, with Gakpo losing Camavinga in midfield and finding Salah on the right. He uses the overlapping Alexander-Arnold by not using him, slaloms between Alaba and Camavinga just inside the area… and then drags a tame shot wide of the near post.
Chance for Real! This is great stuff. Gomez dithers on the edge of his own area and loses the ball. Benzema lays it square to Rodrygo, whose fierce first-time shot is superbly blocked by the stretching Van Dijk.
WHAT A GOAL BY VINICIUS JR
— RM. (@rmdanalysis) February 21, 2023