2019 Champions League Semi-Final vs Barcelona

Lore & Background

Liverpool reached their ninth overall final, an English record, and their second in a row, having lost to Real Madrid in 2018. They had won the competition on five occasions (1977, 1978, 1981, 1984 and 2005) and lost three times (1985, 2007 and 2018). Tottenham Hotspur reached their first ever Champions League final, becoming the eighth unique finalist from England and the fortieth overall. The match was the seventh Champions League final to feature two teams from the same association, and the second all-English final (the first was in 2008). It was also the first final since 2013 to not feature at least one Spanish team.

In Their Own Story

Inside Anfield, the air was heavy with rain and raw adrenaline. As the players stepped onto the pitch, the crowd's chant was not a plea but a demand for belief. When the ball crossed the line in regulation, the stadium didn't just cheer; it erupted as if the foundations of the old stand were shaking loose from their moorings. Origi fell to his knees while the sea of red surged forward, a tidal wave of joy washing away the despair of Barcelona.

Reader's Guide

The match was played at the 67,000-seat Estadio Metropolitano, home of Atlético Madrid. Due to UEFA regulations regarding naming rights, the stadium was referred to as the 'Estadio Metropolitano' in all UEFA materials. The kick-off time was 21:00 CEST. A fourth substitution was allowed in extra time, and the number of substitutes was increased from 7 to 12. The match was the first Champions League final to use the video assistant referee (VAR) system.

Did You Know?

• Liverpool won the final 2–0, with a penalty scored after 106 seconds by Mohamed Salah and a goal by substitute Divock Origi after 87 minutes.
• As winners, for the sixth time in their history, Liverpool earned the right to play in the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup and the 2019 UEFA Super Cup, winning both competitions.
• The match was the first Champions League final to use the video assistant referee (VAR) system.
• This was the fifth European Cup/UEFA Champions League final held in Madrid, after the 1957, 1969, 1980 and 2010 finals.