Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in the 2018/19 Champions League final but it has now been revealed by Kieran Trippier how the Spurs team collapsed mentally.
Mohamed Salah opened the scoring after 1 minute and 47 seconds, dispatching the spot-kick Sadio Mane won 22 seconds into the match.
Divock Origi finished the final off with a cool finish in the 87th minute, a fitting way to end an iconic season but Kieran Trippier has explained that the penalty awarded inside the first minute “killed” the game.
Moussa Sissoko was penalised when the ball was adjudged to strike his raised arm, a hammer blow to Spurs’ chances of winning the Champions League and Trippier told the True Geordie Podcast that it killed Tottenham’s confidence.
“It was weird. Do you agree it was a penalty? Be honest!” he asked. “Because Mane chips it, Sissoko’s already made himself big.”
He added: “That changed everything. We thought we were winning, I’m not going to lie, 100 percent.
“Just because the way the City game went, the Ajax game went, we felt confident.
“And then two minutes into the game or whatever it was, you get a penalty, and I think that just killed the game.
“I thought there were some moments where we were on top of the game, but then when Origi comes on and he bags that second goal it’s finished, done.”
It was a controversial call to award the penalty but by the letter of the law that year, Spurs can have little complaints especially as they benefitted from the same rule to progress beyond Manchester City into the semi-finals.
After Origi’s late goal, the game was settled and Liverpool lifted their sixth European Cup and the first one at the expense of a Premier League rival.
Trippier has returned to the Premier League after Newcastle United signed him in the January transfer window to kick off their new era after their takeover was successful although the fullback is currently out injured.
Liverpool are preparing for their next Champions League fixture in their quest to claim their seventh European Cup this season and they’re halfway on the way to the quarterfinals.
The Reds beat Inter Milan 2-0 in the first leg at the San Siro and now face the tricky task of repelling an all-out offensive from the Serie A champions just days after they won 5-0 against Salernitana.
Jurgen Klopp will be confident his side can make it a 13th consecutive win in all competitions when Inter travel to Anfield after their 1-0 win over David Moyes’ West Ham.