For all the talk of the Premier League boasting the best two sides in Europe, Real Madrid quietly and efficiently went about humbling both Manchester City and Liverpool this season.
If their comeback against City in the Champions League semi-finals was a late smash-and-grab, fuelled on momentum and a tired City defence, their victory over Liverpool in the final was far more controlled. Liverpool may have dominated the shot count, and Thibaut Courtois may have produced one of the all-time great Champions League final performances, but there was an assured confidence in the Real Madrid side and a belief that they would always remain in the game.
As soon as Vinicius Jr put them ahead, there was only one winner. They have now beaten the Premier League champions, their closest rivals, and the defending Champions League winners on their way to lifting the trophy, plus one of the richest sides in the world in Paris Saint-Germain. They may not have played worse on their way to any of their previous 13 European Cups, but the fact that they lifted a 14th in Paris can be a timely lesson for City and Liverpool.
