The ‘reds’ beat Chelsea on penalties to win the FA Cup but could lose Salah and Van Dijk for the final against Real Madrid
As happened in the Carabao Cup, the FA Cup final between Chelsea and Liverpool was settled in a penalty shootout in favor of the ‘reds’ after an open serious game that was only missing goals. Tsimikas fired the last shot, became the unexpected hero and dodged Mane’s lament, who had missed a decisive maximum penalty with everything in his favour. For the ‘blues’, falling into their third consecutive final of the tournament after defeats against Arsenal and Leicester, Azpilicueta and Mount failed.
There was no such classic football in Spain at Wembley Temple, no protests, no wasted time, no swimming pools, no quest for penalties, just the desire to win fairly from two contenders who know each other almost as well as their coaches . Two Germans on the bench for the first time in this historic event, two coaches, Jürgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel, students from the same school.
Klopp has already won every title possible with Liverpool, who had not been crowned in the English Cup since beating Aston Villa 16 years ago. He takes his eighth prize, equaling Chelsea and Tottenham in exactly third place in the ranking, a long way from Arsenal’s 14 gold medals and Manchester United’s 12.
It was a very tough battle thanks to Real Madrid thinking of the final on May 28 in Paris. Nobody knows better than Carlo Ancelotti’s team that this sport is unpredictable, mysterious and often unfair, but the situation of the ‘reds’ is very delicate. In addition to the physical and mental exhaustion that such a final brings and being in the midst of the Premier League battle with City, Salah’s groin injury, which lasted just over half an hour against Chelsea, and the physical problems of Salah Van Dijk, who did not oppose the extension. In addition, Fabinho was low at Wembley and is among the cotton for Paris.
Mendy, Chalobah (Azpilicueta, min. 106), Thiago Silva, Rüdiger, James, Jorginho, Kovacic (Kanté, min. 66), Marcos Alonso, Mount, Lukaku (Ziyech, min. 85) and Pulisic (Loftus Cheek, min. 106, Barkley, minute 119).
Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk (Matip, min. 91), Robertson (Tsimikas, min. 110), Keita (Milner, min. 74), Henderson, Thiago, Salah (Diogo Jota, min. 33), Mane and Luis Diaz (Firmino, min. 98).
After a ten-year absence from the final of the world’s oldest tournament, which this year celebrated its 150th anniversary since the Wonderers’ victory over the Royal Engineers, Liverpool found themselves in steamroller mode. With very high pressure, he didn’t even let the Londoners breathe for the first quarter of an hour. The tagline was clear. Looking again and again for the Colombian Luis Díaz on the left to take the colors from the Sierra Leone Chalobah.
Chelsea survived that first rush without keeping their cool after a great exit from Mendy who cut off Luis Díaz’s shot with a goal, and gradually grew in the first act. He knew how to wait for the ‘reds’ on his field to leave no room for the counterattack, he got more ball back and balanced the final. American Pulisic warned, who passed Alexander-Arnold’s guard but shot just wide and Lukaku caused problems for Van Dijk. To paraphrase the highly anticipated musician Antonio Vega, it was a battle of giants.
Craig Pawson played, who gave Thiago a yellow card that would be a book in Spain and he would even claim a red card, and there was some disturbing news for Liverpool. Alisson was injured after Marcos Alonso hit him in the shin with the cleats. It was a dispute in which only the Spaniard’s poor control and the Brazilian goalkeeper’s courage prevented the goal. Becker recovered, but suddenly Mohamed Salah appeared lying down. They treated him in the right thigh and he was replaced. He left on his own foot to greet his fans, but Klopp’s face was a poem. The Pole blamed that emotional blow and narrowly came close to Mendy’s domain before half-time.
After the restart it was the ‘blues’, yesterday in yellow, that came out at full throttle. Three excellent chances in just five minutes. And in two of them again prominence for Marcos Alonso, who threw a free kick on the crossbar. In addition, Alisson’s figure appeared to avoid Pulisic’s goal. The game broke out and in the other area two shots by Luis Díaz and Diogo Jota missed the post. Another scare for the reds. Thiago received a sole from James and sometimes feared for the ankle of the Spanish-Brazilian. I could go on.
The ‘reds grew massively in the final stretch, but they were deprived of the goal that would have saved them the wear and tear of extra time. Luis Díaz, still lacking the punch to be a ‘crack’, threw to the outside of the woods and Robertson missed the game’s chance and one of the clearest of his career. With everything in his favor, he hit the ball in semi-miss and crashed it into the post. He gasped, but Chelsea resisted.
And Van Dijk moaned on the bench after he was substituted. Caution or injury? That’s the key. Little news in the extra time, marked by exhaustion and fear of losing each other. And on punishment, glory for Tsimikas, in the script a very secondary actor, and misery for Azpi and Mount. Football in its purest form.
Source: La Verdad
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