1. Courtois the key to Carlo's 4th crown

Carlo Ancelotti became the first coach to win four European Cups when Vinicius Junior's second-half goal gave Real Madrid a record 14th victory in the competition.

Vinicius was the hero of the game, but Real owed their victory to Courtois who made a number of crucial saves. During the early stages of the game, the keeper kept out efforts from the two players, pushing a Mane shot onto the post as the Reds attempted to take the lead. The man of the match award was up for grabs, and Courtois continued his heroic performance in the second-half, before and after his team&s breakthrough goal.

Real avenged their 1981 European Cup final defeat againstLiverpool in the French capital and also stretched their incredible winning record in the competition by winning this game. AC Milan has seven titles, but Real has 14 European Cup/Champions League titles. The last time they won the competition was in 2019. By winning it for the fourth time, he becomes the most successful coach of all time. The Italian won two with AC Milan and two with Real Madrid.

Thibaut Courtois was clutch in Real Madrid's win over Liverpool. JAVIER SORIANO/AFP via Getty Images

2. Vinicus exposes Alexander-Arnold's shortcomings

The battle between Trent Alexander-Arnold and Vinicius was always going to be the decisive one. The Brazil international came out on top against the England defender last season and he scored the winning goal on Saturday.

Alexander-Arnold's defensive deficiencies are the main reason why he is no longer the first choice for England, but his attacking qualities make him a vital part of the team. Alexander-Arnold is a fearsome opponent for most of the teams he faces because of his ability to play on the right side. Alexander-Arnold's determination to push forward can become a weakness when he comes up against Vinicius Junior.

The two players battled until the moment that changed the game. Vinicius was found at the far post when Federico Valverde crossed into the penalty area. Alexander-Arnold lost his man at the key moment, allowing the 21-year-old to find the space to claim the cross and score.

Vinicius was free on the halfway line after Alexander-Arnold lost Vinicius again, but the Real man didn't take advantage. Vinicious delivered in the big moment.

3. Liverpool 'Quad' talk ends with whimper

Two weeks ago, the Reds were on the verge of becoming the first team in history to win all four of the major domestic cups in the same season, but they fell short in the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup.

The title was denied on the final day of the league season when Manchester City fought back from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 against Villa. The result of Saturday's match left them without a trophy. How can we judge a season that promised so much but ended with disappointment?

If a team goes so close in the biggest tournaments but fails to win a trophy, it's a sure sign that they're not going to win a trophy. It was a huge achievement to go so close to doing something that no other club has ever done. It seemed like the ultimate high watermark when Manchester United won the Treble in 1999, but they were two games away from beating that achievement.

It seems like it's only a matter of time before one of them does the 888-405-7720 888-405-7720