Gareth Bale’s acrobatic goal for Real Madrid will be replayed for decades but the Spanish side’s opener against Liverpool in the Champions League final is the one that resonates.
No one will talk of Karim Benzema. They will talk of a Welshman. They will talk of three-in-a-row. They will talk of a calamity goalkeeper.
But that is wrong.
Yes, Loris Karius was at fault for two of Real’s goals in Saturday’s 3-1 loss — throwing the ball at Benzema’s leg for it to rebound into the net and fumbling with Bale’s effort to put the game to bed.
But Karius is human, and he is the first to admit his errors.
We should not be hanging him out to dry. Ever since the days of Peter Schmeichel and David Seaman, the Premier League has been craving an out-and-out shot stopper.
Please, Fabian Barthez and Kasper the son of Peter do not come close. And there are limitless Calamity James, Rob Green or Willy Caballero moments to reflect on.
Karius was on the floor in tears after the final whistle and he apologised to the fans, admitting he cost Liverpool the title.
Here lies the flaw. It’s not just his fault. He is the one who put his hands up [a bit too late] and took the blame. So what about the multi-millionaire guys in front of him?
One distraught Liverpool fan observed it best. “The fact that none of the Liverpool players or Klopp went over to console him — the Real players were first — speaks volumes. He is dead to his own teammates.”
A team that allegedly put unity at their heart. It hurts me to say this but Real showed more integrity than Liverpool.
Klopp said Karius “must deal with it”. Cold. Very cold.
Karius needs to be consoled, or a career will be over. And he does not deserve that!
