The spotlight was on Trent Alexander-Arnold. He knew that the key to the game would be his fight with Vinicius Junior. He will know that it was a match that he lost.
It's inevitable that the verdict will be harsh, but it was the case after the final. Vinicius will be shown ghosting in beyond a static defender when the video plays when the story of Real Madrid's victory is told.
The match-up would be defining. The catalyst for those attacks is Alexander-Arnold, even from that nominal right-back position. He is a part of the back four.
Vinicius had enjoyed the season of his career so far, creating more chances and completing more dribbles than any other player in the league. Getting the ball to him would be crucial.
Alexander-Arnold was being targeted. When the Reds were eliminated from this competition at the quarter-final stage last season, the pass over his head was looked for a lot.
Benzema tried to create an overload to help fashion the opening for Vinicius. Alexander-Arnold was asked about how he would cope with the Brazilian at the pre-match press conference.
He said there will be battles all over the pitch.
Vinicius is an outstanding player and he has shown that this season, with his goals, his assists and his threat. He is an exciting player to watch but we know that as a team we have a job to do.
Individual battles will be part of the game, but it is a team game.
Alexander-Arnold has a different role in this team and cannot be expected to take defensive responsibility when he is positioned higher up the pitch. There were times when that was true against Madrid.
In the first half, Vinicius found the ball in space for the first time with Alexander-Arnold well ahead of him in the Madrid half. Ibrahima Konate helped him out of danger. Konate is the best in one-on-one situations.
The key moment in the game is not explained by that. Konate would have been entitled to believe that Alexander-Arnold had the situation under control when he looked right. A moment's hesitation was costly.
Alexander-Arnold would direct his cross-shot into the opposition area before and after, and it was a lucky cross-shot that arrowed into the penalty box. The concentrated Carvajal wasn't there to cut those out.
The ball ended up in Vinicius' possession and he was behind.
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If Alexander-Arnold had been able to make better use of the space that he found up the field and occasionally inside, the tactical trade-off would have been vindicated.
In the first half, he sent a low ball into the box that was turned towards the net but not beyond Thibaut Courtois. Diogo Jota tried and failed to divert a cross in for the goal.
This could have been different. There will be days when it isn't.
This will sting.
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Andy Robertson recently revealed that he has been gently chiding his fellow full-back of late with the words "by a mile" - a reference to Gary Neville's verdict on Robertson's superiority. The Scots are excellent defensively and on the offensive side.
While offensive qualities can be demonstrated quickly - an early season free-kick curled into the top corner, for example - defensive reliability is a trait that takes longer to prove.
He provided the sort of performance in the FA Cup final that will change the opinion. There will be replays of this goal in the final of the European club competition.
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