5-1!
A scoreline this lopsided is extremely rare in the annals of history. Before this match, the largest winning margin in a Champions League final was four goals.
There were four previous instances:
1959-60 season: Real Madrid 7-3 Eintracht Frankfurt.
1973-74 season: Bayern Munich 4-0 Atlético Madrid.
1988-89 season: AC Milan 4-0 Steaua București.
1993-94 season: AC Milan 4-0 Barcelona.
At this moment, Liverpool had already tied that history.
And the match was not over yet.
With a 4-goal lead, Liverpool's assault did not stop. They had not tasted this kind of victory for far too long. Since the Premier League was rebranded, they hadn't won a single league title. And after that miracle night in 2005, they hadn't won the Champions League trophy either. It was as if that night in 2005 had used up all of Liverpool's luck. For all these years, as a giant club, Liverpool had been stuck in an awkward position, not quite at the top, not quite below it.
So, when the opportunity came again, the people of Liverpool went completely crazy.
In the 76th minute, Tendou received a pass from Arnold and played a series of one-twos with Wijnaldum in midfield. Then, after drawing three defenders, he passed the ball to Salah. The Egyptian Pharaoh received the ball, beat a man, and cut into the Tottenham penalty area. Vertonghen, who had already been beaten senseless, seemed to forget that Salah was in the box and actually went in for a sliding tackle. Salah went down with a scream. The referee blew his whistle and pointed furiously to the twelve-yard spot!
A penalty!
The Liverpool team all chose to give the opportunity to Salah. Salah gratefully accepted and converted it with ease.
6-1!
A massacre had occurred!
Many of the Tottenham fans were now holding their heads and sobbing. Even those who weren't crying had eyes that were frighteningly red, a sorrowful atmosphere hanging over them. On a stage like this, in the Champions League final, they had been subjected to the most ruthless slaughter by Liverpool. The biggest winning margin in Champions League history... weren't we all from the Premier League? Could you not show a little bit of face?
The people of Liverpool didn't care about any of that. They sang and danced. The Wanda Metropolitano stadium echoed with the sound of "You'll Never Walk Alone."
On Sky Sports, Ledley King was completely dumbfounded. He was already in despair when they were 3 goals down at halftime. The studio was now filled with only two sounds: the host's and Gerrard's cheers.
"Tradition, records!"
"These are all meant to be broken by those who come after!"
"The excellence of Liverpool and TJ is no longer up for discussion!"
"We don't have to wait a few more years. Liverpool has welcomed their new king right now!" Gerrard was ecstatic.
Liverpool truly was a team of all or nothing. 30 years without a Premier League title, and their first one comes with a historic 100 points in a single season. 14 years without a Champions League title, and when they win it again, it's with a historic, record-breaking margin.
Looking back on their journey, Liverpool had beaten Bayern, beaten Barcelona, overcoming two giants, and had fought with Manchester City until the very last moment in the league. No one could question their championship; its value was immense.
On the pitch, the 6-1 scoreline was incredibly stark. The more Liverpool played, the more relaxed they became. Tottenham tried their best. Adam Blake made attempt after attempt, but he couldn't break through Van Dijk's defense. After all, Van Dijk had his own ambitions. He couldn't win the Golden Boot, but the Ballon d'Or was still a possibility. His own little brother, TJ, had already snatched the Champions League Golden Boot, which was almost in Messi's hands, with 14 goals. This year, Messi only had a La Liga title and the La Liga Golden Boot.
And him? A Premier League title, the Premier League Player of the Year, and the Champions League. Plus a guaranteed spot in the Team of the Year. He might really be able to win this year's Ballon d'Or as a defender.
Therefore, even though the match was no longer in doubt, his defending didn't slacken for a second, and he made Adam's life miserable.
In the 87th minute, Liverpool, who had already gone crazy, didn't know how to hold back. Tendou orchestrated an attack from the middle. Mané used a roulette to beat a defender, broke into the penalty area, and played a cutback from the byline. Firmino followed up with a shot.
The seventh!
Liverpool scored their seventh goal of the match.
7-1!
In the Champions League final, Liverpool had produced a scoreline that drove people mad.
At this moment, the "Happy Beans" players on a certain domestic betting site also went crazy.
"Awesome, Liverpool!"
"Buying a jersey tomorrow!"
"They've gone mad, a complete slaughter!"
"F*cking Tottenham, you trash!"
"Stop scoring, I'm gonna be rich!"
"Big-small-big-small, is this really the Champions League? Hahahaha, a money-printing match!"
"..."
The cheers from the stands were like a tsunami. The Liverpool fans on the pitch were also celebrating, hugging each other. After about two minutes of celebration, when the match restarted, the Liverpool players unconsciously held back. It seemed they also realized they had been a bit excessive, accidentally setting the record for the biggest winning margin in history. If this continued, Liverpool might become mortal enemies with Tottenham.
Well, whether they became mortal enemies or not, the Liverpool players didn't really care. They were just worried that the incensed Tottenham players might do something irrational.
Back in the match, Tottenham no longer had the heart to attack. When the match reached the 90-minute mark, the fourth official showed a symbolic 2 minutes of injury time. Liverpool just passed the ball around without even crossing the halfway line.
Once the 2 minutes were up, the Wanda Metropolitano stadium was left with only a sea of red!!!
The full-time whistle blew.
The 2018-2019 season, the Champions League final.
Liverpool had defeated Tottenham with a resounding 7-1 victory.
This was the sixth Champions League trophy in Liverpool's history. This title also allowed Liverpool to draw level with Bayern Munich, with both clubs having won the competition 6 times!
The moment the match ended, Liverpool's substitute players and coaching staff all rushed onto the pitch, wildly embracing Tendou and the others in celebration. Firmino was there, doing his samba dance. The moves were less than graceful, but in their joy, many of his teammates actually joined him.
First the league, now the Champions League. Liverpool's season was undoubtedly a success. They had won the two most prestigious trophies. They had conquered England, and they had conquered Europe!
The Tottenham players silently left the pitch, leaving the stage to the people of Liverpool.
After what seemed like an eternity, on the presentation stage, a group of high-ranking officials had already ascended. The "Big Ears" trophy gleamed on the podium. The UEFA President picked up the trophy and handed it to Henderson. Henderson held it as if it were the most precious thing in the world, and when he saw his fingerprints on it, he even specially wiped it with his jersey.
The entire Liverpool team lined up neatly. Henderson walked over, step by step, and finally lifted the trophy high.
The next second, the entire Liverpool team was jumping up and down on the stage, roaring as golden confetti rained down from the sky.
They had celebrated in a similar fashion when they won the Premier League.
But this feeling... they would never get tired of it!