Mo Salah and Divock Origi scored the goals as Liverpool beat Tottenham 2-0 in the Champions League final as they lifted the European Cup for a sixth time.
Liverpool won their sixth European Cup after defeating Tottenham 2-0 in the Champions League final on Saturday night.
Thousands descended on Madrid for a legacy-defining encounter at the end of a scarcely-believable continental campaign, with both Premier League sides narrowly making it through the group stage and then completing jaw-dropping semi-final wins.
But only one could emerge triumphant at the Wanda Metropolitano and it was Liverpool who persevered in a hard-fought clash as a controversial early penalty from Mo Salah and a late second from Divock Origi helped Jurgen Klopp end his finals hoodoo by securing his first trophy with the Reds at the end of his fourth season at Anfield.
The German boss had lost his last six finals as a manager, including three with Liverpool, but 12 months on from their defeat to Real Madrid they edged past Spurs in the second ever all-English Champions League final.
This triumph, which sees them make the most of their heroic comeback against Barcelona in the semi-finals, also helped the Reds overcame the pain of missing out on their first Premier League title three weeks ago despite a stunning haul of 97 points.
Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino will be frustrated his side were not able to produce more, although Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker was in fine form to deny Son Heung-min, Lucas Moura and Christian Eriksen in the second half while Virgil van Dijk weighed in with a man-of-the-match performance at the back.
Moura came off the bench to replace the ineffective returning star Harry Kane, who had just 11 touches in the first half and although he made a positive impact, there would be no repeat of his hat-trick heroics against Ajax.
Tottenham may well continue to debate the moment referee Damir Skomina pointed to the spot after just 22 seconds, having adjudged Moussa Sissoko to have handled Sadio Mane's clipped cross in the box. VAR did not reverse the decision and Mo Salah kept his cool to open the scoring.
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson also went close in the first half while James Milner's low shot after the break went wide, but there was no debating Origi's cup sealing effort late on.
Moussa Sissoko gives away a controversial penalty in the first minute...
😩 An awful way for Tottenham to start their first Champions League final.
— Sporting Life Football (@SportingLifeFC)
Mo Salah keeps his cool from the penalty spot
🔴🙌 Mo Salah's 27th goal of the season is one of his most important as Liverpool lead Tottenham 1-0 in the !
— Sporting Life Football (@SportingLifeFC)
Pundits debate whether the penalty should have stood
"It hits his chest first! Is it intentional? No way!" 😡
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball)
"I think it's a penalty 10 years ago and I think it's a penalty now!"
"The referee has no option but to award it."
Mixed opinions in the BT Sport studio about the decision to award Liverpool a penalty...
Liverpool fans celebrate the opening goal back home
Scenes on Merseyside!
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball)
Liverpool fans at the M&S Bank Arena celebrate Mohamed Salah's goal 🙌
Their dream start to the
Divock Origi seals the final with a late second
🏆🙌 The hero of 'that' semi-final has now secured Liverpool's sixth European Cup!
— Sporting Life Football (@SportingLifeFC)
🎶 "Oh Divock Origi!"
Alberto Moreno's tribute
👏 Alberto Moreno wins the Champions League and pays tribute to his former team-mate and friend Jose Antonio Reyes.
— Sporting Life Football (@SportingLifeFC)
Liverpool lift the European Cup for the sixth time
🔴🙌 Liverpool lift the European Cup for a sixth time!
— Sporting Life Football (@SportingLifeFC)
🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Liverpool players give Klopp a celebratory carry
🙌 Could any team love their manager more than this?!
— Sporting Life Football (@SportingLifeFC)
😂 Jurgen Klopp - the gift that keeps giving!
— Sporting Life Football (@SportingLifeFC)
🎶 "Let's talk about six baby..."
An incredible moment between the players, staff and supporters
🎶🔴 Liverpool players, staff and fans join together in a spine-tingling rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone.
— Sporting Life Football (@SportingLifeFC)
👏 Fantastic
Click here for more reaction from players and pundits
Jurgen Klopp told BT Sport: "I'm so happy for the boys. I'm so happy for all these people, I'm so happy for my family, they suffer every year when we go to the final last game of the season and we lose it.
"Did you ever see a team like this? Fighting with absolutely no fuel in the tank any more.
"We have a goalkeeper that makes difficult things look easy, very nice thank you very much. This is unbelievable, what a night, the night will be much better now.
"It's really the best night of my life professional-wise."
👍 Jurgen Klopp's only thoughts after finally winning a trophy as Liverpool boss is for his players, fans and his family, who 'suffer every year'!
— Sporting Life Football (@SportingLifeFC)
Mauricio Pochettino speaking to BT Sport - giving no clues about his future...
"When you live this experience you want it again. You want to repeat. It's the best situation in the best game in the world after the World Cup. I hope we can repeat in the future."
Asked if he would be staying at Spurs, he said: "Always it's about trying, about believing, about ensuring it can happen again as soon as possible."