Mohamed Salah has made Champions League history after accounting for six shots on target as Liverpool lost 1-0 to Real Madrid in Saturday’s final.
The Egyptian’s mark is the most on record since (the 2003-04 season) of any player in a single final in the tournament’s history.
Regardless, that amounted to nothing as Carlos Ancelotti’s men ruled Europe for the 14th time thanks to Vinicius Junior’s 59th-minute strike.
Salah had made his feelings clear that he was keen to avenge the Reds’ defeat to Los Blancos in Kyiv, four years earlier.
“If you ask me personally, I want to play Madrid because we lost in the final against them,” he told BT Sport.
“It was the worst moment of my career. I never felt that way before in football.”
Fuelled by that, the African put up an inspiring performance, but it was Carlos Ancelotti’s men who had the last laugh.
Salah formed a solid partnership upfront with Sadio Mane and Luis Diaz, however, he could not find the net as goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was at his best.
In total, the 29-year-old accounted for nine shots, two key passes, one cross, 37 passes and a passing accuracy of 89.2 per cent.
Also, he was dispossessed twice and fouled once with his only significant contribution defensively just one tackle in the second half of the low-scoring affair.
Prior to the showdown at the Stade de France, manager Jurgen Klopp was asked if he would be using the intensity of Salah’s desire to put things right, the German tactician told the media: “Nobody has to worry about Mo and that he takes it too much. It’s completely normal.
“For him, it was a very special situation [in 2018]. We all lost that day but he got injured early in the game; he is now in a very good shape, he was then in a very good shape so it feels for him differently.
“You ask him, that’s a normal feeling. We all get motivated by different things. I have here 26, 27 players and they all get motivated by different things.”
Alongside Salah, reigning African Player of the Year Sadio Mane as well as Mali prospect Ibrahima Konate played from start to finish, while Naby Keita was introduced for Jordan Henderson in the 77th minute.
