Football: Subdued Liverpool do enough to claim European crown

Liverpool's Divock Origi scored the decisive second goal. Photo / Getty Images

The sixth star sewn on to the Liverpool shirt and a place for Jurgen Klopp among the greats at Anfield, where they have compiled a European history unsurpassed in the English game of famous victories and great finals — of which, strangely, this, the occasion of their sixth European Cup, was neither.

It is hard to reconcile the immense achievement of Klopp's Liverpool, the transformation of a mediocre Premier League team into the champions of Europe in less than four years, with this their meekest squeak in a season in which they roared.

It was admirable in ways different to the team we have come to know, a performance of resilience and concentration, a perfect performance on an imperfect night.

In the end, their cussedness won them this game, the brilliance of their goalkeeper Alisson, the muscle memory of a tired Virgil van Dijk, carrying their team on in the defence of a lead gifted to them by a dubious first-minute penalty.

Then as Tottenham made one last push, that old Champions League assassin Divock Origi, on as a substitute, pounced in the penalty area and this final which had barely come alive was dead at last.

None of Klopp's stars were firing, not even penalty scorer Mohamed Salah, and yet they seemed to make their peace with this swiftly. They buckled up for the ride on a night when all that mattered was the win.

If this was nothing like the Liverpool team that finished on 97 points in second place in the Premier League, then equally this was no Mauricio Pochettino 2019 Spurs either. If this was not the Harry Kane we know, then neither was it a recognisable Son Heung-min, or Dele Alli, or Christian Eriksen.

If Pochettino was wrong to play Kane, you could say the same about half a dozen more of his players.

First to that penalty, awarded an astonishing 28 seconds into the game before the players' legs looked heavy and their passes were going astray.

Slovenian referee Damir Skomina was under no pressure to give it, a scoop really from Sadio Mane which seemed to strike Moussa Sissoko under his armpit. The penalty stood.

It was almost two minutes on the clock when Salah addressed the ball, put Hugo Lloris down to the goalkeeper's left and drilled it straight and hard enough to beat the Frenchman.

Yet Spurs had the better of the first half, 63 per cent of the possession. Liverpool's front three neither countered nor pressed.

There were moments in the last 10 minutes when it seemed there might be a goal for Son, but Alisson and van Dijk in particular were just too good.

Then Fabinho picked out Origi in the box and the Belgian pounced, a swish of the left foot and this strange game was as good as over.