Liverpool let down by poor finishing and frustrated by deep defending

Liverpool have more trophies than goals in cup finals this season. Yes, you read that correctly. They have gone 330 minutes of major showdowns this campaign without scoring a single goal, yet have the FA Cup and Carabao Cup to show for their work.

From their three finals, the first two went to penalties after two goalless draws at Wembley. Where their usual attacking flair fell short, they fell back on their hardy defence, and that was enough to carry them to two successes in nervy shootouts.

The Champions League final was a different prospect although, though. While the Reds were frustrated by the stout shape and lightning counter-attacking from Chelsea earlier this term, they were undone by their own lack of prolificacy in Paris. 

It was a curious game, one they essentially dominated from start to finish.

Real Madrid's magicians Luka Modric and Toni Kroos were reduced to innocent bystanders for much of the clash at the Stade de France, with Liverpool mustering up more shots than their opponents, 24-4, with nine of them on target.

Where, then, did they go wrong? Are there recurring threads through each final? 

The answer to that is yes and no, as we will explain throughout this piece.

For starters, Liverpool's trademark style is based around a ferocious press. They do not keep the ball in safe areas, and instead prefer to play vertically at speed. Very rarely do they change from this, such is the quality of Jurgen Klopp's coaching. 

Madrid, however, have a more simplistic approach. Their game is comprised of confidence and utter belief in how they move the ball. Under the lights at the weekend, they were quick to drop back into their shape and remained compact.

Time and time again, they have survived in the competition