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Carlo Ancelotti has claimed Liverpool were "easier to decipher" than the other teams Real Madrid faced en route to Champions League glory in Paris.

Los Blancos had a stunning run to the final, defeating Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain, then-defending European champions Chelsea and Premier League champions Manchester City to reach the Stade de France spectacle. The Spanish giants had to come from behind against all three of those opponents and had Karim Benzema to thank for his 10 goals in the knockout stages.

Many suspect Real Madrid were fortunate to book their spot in the final and this did not escape Ancelotti's attention in the build-up to Saturday night's showdown. However, speaking after Vinicius Junior fired his side to a 1-0 victory and a 14th continental crown, the Italian manager declared it was relatively simple to prepare for the Reds compared to previous opponents.

"Looking back, people said PSG were unlucky, Chelsea were unlucky, Manchester City were unlucky," Ancelotti told reporters. "This was practically the only game where people thought we were more or less on the same level.

"I think it helped that Liverpool were easier to decipher than the others, because they have a very clear identity and we could prepare the way that we did. We knew what