Champions League final 2022 result: who won Liverpool vs Real Madrid, man of the match, attendance

Real Madrid 1-0 Liverpool

Liverpool suffered Champions League Final heartache as a second-half goal from Brazilian star Vinicius Junior helped Real Madrid to a narrow win at the State de France.

It was off-field matters that dominated the buildup to eagerly-anticipated clash as tens of thousands of Liverpool supporters were locked outside of the stadium amid chaotic scenes and a complete lack of organisation.

UEFA took the decision to delay kick-off by over half an hour and when the action finally got underway it was the Reds that settled into the contest.

But they were met by an inspired performance from former Chelsea goalkeeper Thibault Courtois as he frustrated the likes of Mo Salah and Sadio Mane throughout an opening 40 minutes largely dominated by the Reds.

But Jurgen Klopp’s men survived a major scare when their La Liga opponents had a goal surprisingly ruled out for offside five minutes before half-time.

A defensive mixup ended with Karim Benzema tapping home from close range - but a VAR decision saw the goal chalked off for offside despite the ball coming off Liverpool midfielder Fabinho prior to the final effort.

There was to be no let-off for the Reds just before the hour-mark when Luka Modric started off a counter-attack that was ended by a routine finish from the lively Vinicius.

Liverpool pushed forwards in the final half-hour but the defensive display and a stunning performance from Real number one Courtois ensured the famous trophy will make its way back to the Bernebeu for the fourteenth time.

Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson (Firmino), Fabinho, Thiago (Keita), Salah, Mane, Diaz (Jota) Subs: Milner, Gomez, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jones, Minamino, Tsimakas, Matip, Kelleher, Elliott

Real Madrid: Courtois, Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Mendy, Modric (Ceballos), Casemiro, Kroos, Vinicius (Rodrygo), Benzema, Valverde (Camavinga) Subs: Nacho, Hazard, Asensio, Marcelo, Lunin, Vazquez, Bale, Isco, Mariano

Who was named as man of the match?

Unsurprisingly, it was the inspired Thibault Courtois that collected the man of the match award after his impressive display was rewarded with a clean sheet that laid the foundations for Real Madrid’s win.

The former Chelsea stopper delivered a defiant post-match message as he hit out at a perceived lack of respect from those involved in English football.

He told BT Sport: “Today I needed to win a final for my career, for all of the hard work, to put some respect on my name, because I don’t think I get enough respect, especially in England.

“I saw a lot of criticism, even after a great season, (saying) I was not enough.

“I am just really happy and proud of the performance of the team. We stuck to it and when I needed to be there, I was there for the team.”

How many supporters were at the final?

A sell-out crowd of over 80,000 was on hand to witness the final between two of European football’s truly historic clubs.

But it was off-field matters, rather than on-field preparations that dominated the headlines in the hours before kick-off.

Haphazard planning caused chaotic scenes as tens of thousands of Liverpool supporters were locked outside of the stadium for over two hours and were cruelly targeted with pepper spray by the French police.

Kick-off was delayed by over half an hour as a result of the events with UEFA incorrectly relaying the message that the decision had been taken because supporters had arrived late.

What have UEFA said about the pre-match scenes?

A UEFA statement read: “In the lead-up to the game, the turnstiles at the Liverpool end became blocked by thousands fans who had purchased fake tickets which did not work in the turnstiles,” the statement read.

“This created a build-up of fans trying to get in. As a result, the kick off was delayed by 35 minutes to allow as many fans as possible with genuine tickets to gain access.

“As numbers outside the stadium continued to build up after kick off, the police dispersed them with tear gas and forced them away from the stadium.

“UEFA is sympathetic to those affected by these events and will further review these matters urgently together with the French police and authorities, and with the French Football Federation.”

How have Liverpool reacted?

The Reds released their own statement, saying: “We are hugely disappointed at the stadium entry issues and breakdown of the security perimeter that Liverpool fans faced this evening at Stade de France.

“This is the greatest match in European football and supporters should not have to experience the scenes we have witnessed tonight.

“We have officially requested a formal investigation into the causes of these unacceptable issues.”