 Match programme cover | |||||||
| Event | 2017–18 UEFA Champions League | ||||||
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| Date | 26 May 2018 (2018-05-26) | ||||||
| Venue | NSC Olimpiyskiy,Kyiv | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Gareth Bale(Real Madrid)[1] | ||||||
| Referee | Milorad Mažić (Serbia)[2] | ||||||
| Attendance | 61,561[3] | ||||||
| Weather | Sunny 20 °C (68 °F) 37%humidity[4] | ||||||
←2017 2019 → | |||||||
The2018 UEFA Champions League final was the final match of the2017–18 UEFA Champions League, the 63rd season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised byUEFA, and the 26th season since it was renamed from the European Cup to theUEFA Champions League. It was played at theNSC Olimpiyskiy inKyiv, Ukraine on 26 May 2018,[5] betweenSpanish side and defending championsReal Madrid, who had won the competition in each of the previous two seasons, andEnglish sideLiverpool, making their eighth final appearance and first since2007.[6][7] The two sides had previously met in the1981 final.
After Liverpool'sSadio Mané cancelled outKarim Benzema's opener for Real Madrid, two goals from man of the matchGareth Bale proved the difference in a 3–1 win for the Spaniards, making them the first team to win three back-to-back titles in the Champions League era and the first sinceBayern Munich defeatedSaint-Étienne in the1976 European Cup final; it was additionally their fourth title in five seasons and their 13th European Cup overall. They also earned the right to play the winners of the2017–18 UEFA Europa League,Atlético Madrid, in the2018 UEFA Super Cup and to enter the semi-finals of the2018 FIFA Club World Cup, losing the former and winning the latter. Additionally, Real Madrid qualified to enter the group stage of the2018–19 UEFA Champions League,[8] but since they already qualified through their league performance, the berth reserved was given to the champions of the2017–18 Czech First League, the 11th-ranked association according to next season's access list.[9]
TheNSC Olimpiyskiy was announced as the final venue on 15 September 2016, following the decision of the UEFA Executive Committee meeting inAthens,Greece.[5] This was the sixth European Cup/Champions League final hosted at anEastern European venue following those in1973 inBelgrade,Yugoslavia,[10] the1983,1994 and2007 finals hosted by Athens, Greece,[11][12][13] as well as the2008 final inMoscow,Russia.[14]
The Olimpiyskiy Stadium was built in 1923 and it has been renovated three times, most recently in 2011 in preparation for theUEFA Euro 2012 tournament.[15] The stadium was used as a venue in the1980 Summer Olympics for itsfootball event and the aforementioned European Championship,[16] including thefinal match, which sawSpain beatItaly by the record-breaking score of 4–0 on the way to their third title.[17] Its current capacity is 70,050 and it is used by theUkraine national football team,Dynamo Kyiv, and major domestic matches like theUkrainian Cup.[18][19]
Defending championsReal Madrid reached a record 16th final after a 4–3 aggregate win againstGerman sideBayern Munich, knocking them out of the competition for the second consecutive season. This was Real Madrid's third consecutive final, and fourth final in five tournaments with an opportunity to win arecord 13th title. Previously they won finals in1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1966,1998,2000,2002,2014,2016 and2017; and lost in1962,1964 and1981. This was also their 20th final in all seasonal UEFA competitions, having also played in twoCup Winners' Cup finals (losing in1971 and1983) and twoUEFA Cup finals (winning in1985 and1986). Real Madrid are only the third team since the competition's rebranding as the Champions League to reach three consecutive finals afterMilan in1995 andJuventus in1998. They were the first team in the Champions League era, and the fourth overall, to win three straight finals, a feat only achieved by the Real Madrid side of the 1950s, as they went on to win a record five successive finals, as well as theAjax andBayern Munich squads of the 1970s in1973 and1976, respectively.[20]
Liverpool reached their eighth final, their first since2007, after a 7–6 aggregate win against Italian sideRoma.[21] They had won the final on five occasions (1977,1978,1981,1984 and2005), and lost twice (1985 and2007). This was also their 13th final in UEFA seasonal competitions, having played in oneCup Winners' Cup final (losing in1966) and fourUEFA Cup/Europa League finals (winning in1973,1976 and2001; and losing in2016).[22] Liverpool were the first team sinceBayern Munich in2011–12 to reach the final having qualified for the competition through theplay-off round. This was also the most recent occasion the final featured an English team (Chelsea).[23] Liverpool were the most recent team to defeat Real Madrid in a European Cup final, winning 1–0 in Paris in1981.[24]
Besides the 1981 final, the two teams had played each other four times in the Champions League era. Liverpool won both matches in the2008–09 UEFA Champions League round of 16 (1–0 away and 4–0 at home), while Real Madrid won both matches in the2014–15 UEFA Champions League group stage (3–0 away and 1–0 at home).[25]
In the following table, finals until 1992 were in the European Cup era, since 1993 were in the UEFA Champions League era.
| Team | Previous finals appearances (bold indicates winners) |
|---|---|
 Real Madrid | 15 (1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1962,1964,1966,1981,1998,2000,2002,2014,2016,2017) |
 Liverpool | 7 (1977,1978,1981,1984,1985,2005,2007) |
Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).
| Real Madrid | Round | Liverpool | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bye | Qualifying phase | Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Play-off round |  TSG Hoffenheim | 6–3 | 2–1[broken anchor] (A) | 4–2[broken anchor] (H) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opponent | Result | Group stage | Opponent | Result | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 APOEL | 3–0 (H) | Matchday 1 | Sevilla | 2–2 (H) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Borussia Dortmund | 3–1 (A) | Matchday 2 |  Spartak Moscow | 1–1 (A) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tottenham Hotspur | 1–1 (H) | Matchday 3 |  Maribor | 7–0 (A) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tottenham Hotspur | 1–3 (A) | Matchday 4 | Maribor | 3–0 (H) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| APOEL | 6–0 (A) | Matchday 5 | Sevilla | 3–3 (A) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Borussia Dortmund | 3–2 (H) | Matchday 6 | Spartak Moscow | 7–0 (H) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Group H runners-up
Source:UEFA | Final standings | Group E winners
Source:UEFA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg | Knockout phase | Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Paris Saint-Germain | 5–2 | 3–1 (H) | 2–1 (A) | Round of 16 |  Porto | 5–0 | 5–0 (A) | 0–0 (H) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Juventus | 4–3 | 3–0 (A) | 1–3 (H) | Quarter-finals | Manchester City | 5–1 | 3–0 (H) | 2–1 (A) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bayern Munich | 4–3 | 2–1 (A) | 2–2 (H) | Semi-finals | Roma | 7–6 | 5–2 (H) | 2–4 (A) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The ambassador for the final was former Ukrainian internationalAndriy Shevchenko, who won the UEFA Champions League with Milan in2003.[26]
With a stadium capacity of 63,000 for the final, a total of 40,700 tickets were available to fans and the general public, with the two finalist teams receiving 17,000 tickets each and with 6,700 tickets being available for sale to fans worldwide via UEFA.com from 15 to 22 March 2018 in four price categories: €450, €320, €160, and €70. The remaining tickets were allocated to the local organising committee, UEFA and national associations, commercial partners and broadcasters, and to serve the corporate hospitality programme.[27][28]
English singerDua Lipa performed at the opening ceremony preceding the final, by singing multiple songs (made by her) including her famous "One Kiss" and the fan-favorite "No Lie".[29] Jamaican rapperSean Paul joined her as a special guest to perform their collaborative song, "No Lie".[30] TheUEFA Champions League Anthem was performed by Croatiancello duo2Cellos.[31]
The2018 UEFA Women's Champions League final was held two days earlier, on 24 May 2018, at theValeriy Lobanovskyi Dynamo Stadium betweenWolfsburg andLyon, Lyon emerging victorious 4–1.[32] This was also the last time that the host city for the men's Champions League final was also automatically assigned the Women's Champions League final.[33]
The annual UEFA Champions Festival was held between 24 and 27 May 2018 in the Kyiv city centre.[34]
In late May,The New York Times reported that some fans with allocated tickets had returned them after having trouble finding flights to and accommodation in Kyiv. Locals in Kyiv began offering free accommodation for fans affected by cancelled hotel and apartment arrangements.[35] Severalcharter flights arranged for Liverpool fans were cancelled, leaving fans with tickets stranded and leading to an unsuccessful search for alternative solutions by the club and city government.[36][37] Other airlines offered flights to Kyiv from airports in Liverpool and Manchester, using assigned slots at Kyiv's airports.[38]
On 24 May, a group of Liverpool fans were attacked in a restaurant by 20 masked hooligans.[39]
On 7 May 2018, UEFA announced that SerbianMilorad Mažić would officiate the final. Mažić has been aFIFA referee since 2009, and gained UEFA's elite referee status in 2013. He was joined by his fellow countrymen, with Milovan Ristić and Dalibor Đurđević as assistant referees, Nenad Đokić and Danilo Grujić as additional assistant referees, and Nemanja Petrović as reserve assistant referee. The fourth official for the final was FrenchmanClément Turpin.[2]
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The match began with Liverpool's kickoff and the team's successive attacks to counter Madrid's slower, possession-based buildup. In the 23rd minute, a low shot byTrent Alexander-Arnold went through a defender's legs and forced a late save byKeylor Navas. Two minutes later, Liverpool forwardMohamed Salah was injured competing for the ball withSergio Ramos, who had locked Salah's arm resulting in a fall.[40][41] Due to adislocated shoulder, Salah was substituted four minutes later forAdam Lallana.[42] Madrid'sDani Carvajal was substituted in the 37th minute with ahamstring injury after an unsuccessfulbackheel.[43] Minutes later,Karim Benzema appeared to score by finishing a shot started by aCristiano Ronaldo header. His goal was disallowed however because he was judged to have been in an offside position. The first half ended scoreless, with Madrid dominating possession but Liverpool having more chances to score.[40][42]
The first chance of the second half fell toIsco, who hit the crossbar. In the 51st minute, Benzema scored the match's first goal by deflecting a throw by Liverpool goalkeeperLoris Karius back into the net. Liverpool equalised four minutes later with a tap-in bySadio Mané, who finished a header byDejan Lovren after a corner kick byJames Milner from the right.[44]Gareth Bale was substituted in for Isco in the 61st minute and scored Madrid's second goal two minutes later, using an acrobaticbicycle kick to finish a cross byMarcelo from the left.[45] Liverpool pressed for a second equalising goal, with a shot by Mané that hit the goal post and calls for apenalty for an alleged handball, but were also losing possession to Madrid. Ronaldo had a chance to score his first goal of the match during a counter-attack in the 73rd minute, but was tackled by Liverpool defenderAndy Robertson in the penalty box. Bale scored his second goal of the match in the 83rd minute on a 40-yard (37 m) shot that swerved in front of Karius and went through his hands and into the net. A second chance on goal for Ronaldo in the 93rd minute of play was interrupted by apitch invader, who was captured by stadium stewards.[40][42]
The "home" team (for administrative purposes) was determined by an additional draw held after the semi-final draw, which was held on 13 April 2018, 13:00CEST, at the UEFA headquarters inNyon, Switzerland.[46]
          Real Madrid[4] |     Liverpool[4] |
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Man of the Match: Assistant referees:[2] | Match rules[47]
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Real Madrid became the first team sinceBayern Munich in 1974–76 to win three consecutive UEFA Champions Leagues or European Cups.[45] The title was Madrid's 13th, another Champions League record, and their fourth in five years.[45] Real Madrid's victory was the fifth consecutive title for a Spanish side in the Champions League, becoming the longest run for the trophy to be held by teams from the same country since English sides won six consecutive titles between 1977 and 1982.[49]
ManagerZinedine Zidane became the first to win three consecutive Champions League titles and matchedCarlo Ancelotti's record of Champions League era wins.[50] Five days after the final, Zidane announced that he would step down as manager in favour of a "different voice".[51]Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to win the Champions League five times, surpassing the record set byClarence Seedorf in 2007 and byAndrés Iniesta in 2015.[52] The match also served as the last game for Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid, as he subsequently moved toJuventus in July.
Gareth Bale became the first substitute to score two goals in a Champions League final and was namedman of the match.[53][54] His first goal received acclaim as one of the best in Champions League history and was compared to Ronaldo's bicycle kick goal against Juventus in the quarter-final and managerZinedine Zidane's goal in the2002 final.[40][55]
Sergio Ramos's tackle onMohamed Salah received mixed reactions from the press and fans on whether the injury was the result of a deliberate blow or an accident.[56] Egyptian fans responded with anger on social media, including insults that became trending topics onTwitter.[57] AChange.org petition calling onUEFA andFIFA to punish Ramos for the challenge received 400,000 signatures within two days.[58] A separate incident involving Ramos and Liverpool goalkeeperLoris Karius raised questions after a video showed him allegedly elbowing Karius in the face prior to his first goalkeeping error.[59][60] UEFA declined to take action against Ramos for the incident with Karius.[61] After an examination, on 4 June 2018, physiatristRoss Zafonte at theMassachusetts General Hospital said in a statement that Karius suffered aconcussion during the match and that, according to him, it was possible the concussion could have affected the player's performance.[62]
Liverpool managerJürgen Klopp lost his sixth of seven major finals, including Champions League and league cups.[44] After the match, Loris Karius tearfully apologised to Liverpool supporters who remained in the stands and stated that his mistakes "lost the team the final".[63] After the match, he received onlinedeath threats and hate messages directed at him and his family.[64] The game would end up being Karius's last for Liverpool, as he went on loans toBeşiktaş andUnion Berlin before departing forNewcastle United in 2022.[65]
Ramos had locked Salah's right arm and turned him, judo-style, as they lost balance going for the same ball.
They jeered Madrid captain Ramos, who appeared to have had Salah in an armlock as they fell to the ground
