Gareth Bale has claimed that Liverpool players told him they struggled to sleep ahead of the Champions League final in 2018 because they were so nervous.
The Welshman became the story of the final as his remarkable cameo appearance as a second half substitute secured the trophy for Real Madrid. Bale entered the pitch just after the hour mark with the game poised at 1-1 – after Sadio Mane cancelled out Karim Benzema’s opener.
With the game on a knife-edge, Bale scored a stunning overhead kick past Reds goalkeeper Loris Karius within three minutes of his entrance. The former Tottenham star completed the scoring with a long-range effort, which left questions of Karius.
