Real Madrid became European champion Saturday for a record-breaking 14th time after beating Liverpool 1-0 in the Champions League final that started 37 minutes late due to crowd disturbances outside the Stade de France. There have been reports of security breaches by fans without tickets while Paris police have been accused of heavy-handedness.

Brazil winger Vinícius Júnior applied a close-range finish in the 59th minute from Federico Valverde’s drive across the face of goal, securing a win that gave Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti a record fourth European Cup title.

It was a game that showed the ruthless nature of Liverpool’s attacks

While Madrid completed a Champions League-La Liga double, Liverpool finished a season that promised so much — a week ago, it was in contention for an unprecedented quadruple of major trophies — with the two domestic cups in England.

The loss has led Goal.com’s Neil Jones to wonder “how they [Liverpool] didn’t score should be the subject of future theses. Courtois was super-human, denying Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane in the first half, then Salah on three occasions in the second. Each save was different, each was crucial.”

Data picked up from Live play Saturday show Salah had six shots at goal which was more than anyone has ever managed in a Champions League final. And yet he could find no way past the giant Belgian goalkeeper Courtois who deservedly earned man-of-the-match trophy. Liverpool fans are gutted after they missed out from clinching the Premier League title in dramatic fashion the last day of the league which Manchester City’s Pep Gaurdiola won by a single point.

Photo by Vienna Reyes.