Liverpool vs Real Madrid: Trent explains 'biggest lesson' after losing 2018 UCL final

Liverpool will have revenge on their minds when they take to the ground of the Stade de France, having lost the 2018 UEFA Champions League final to Real Madrid. Los Blancos defeated the Reds 3-1 on that occasion in Kyiv, with Gareth Bale scoring a brace and Karim Benzema scoring the other. Following the devastating loss, Liverpool's right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold explain the pain he and the rest of the team faced.

Liverpool vs Real Madrid: Trent explains pain of losing 2018 UCL final

While speaking to the Guardian ahead of the all-important UEFA Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid, Trent Alexander-Arnold said, "That Champions League final loss was our biggest lesson as a team. We got taught exactly how to win a game, how to win trophies. If you look at our run to that final we didn’t really win games. We just outscored the opposition. There’s a difference because a win is gathering control of the game. You know exactly how to win the game and you execute it. That’s very different from just outscoring the opposition and there’s no real control."

However, the 23-year-old believes that his side did not play a bad game though as they began well until Mohamed Salah got injured. "We started very well and then Mo Salah got injured. They controlled it from that point on. There were a few individual mistakes and unfortunately it was from the goalkeeper [Loris Karius]. So we conceded two and there was also one of the best goals in a Champions League final ever."

Trent was referencing Gareth Bale's incredible bicycle kick that rifled straight into the top corner past goalkeeper Karius. Speaking of the goal, Liverpool's right-back laughed and said, "I was close enough to see it coming in the top corner. It was one of them where it’s like: ‘What's just happened?"

When asked about the pain of losing the UEFA Champions League final, Trent responded, "Growing up you think if you lose the Champions League final your heart is going to be broken, you’ll be in tears for days. But it wasn’t like that. It hurt – especially seeing them lift the trophy and having to give them a guard of honour. But I thought: ‘I’m 19 and with the players and the manager we have we’ll be back. Next time there’s no way I’m losing.’ I knew we would come back stronger."

While Liverpool lost the UCL final in 2018, they won it the very next year when they defeated Tottenham 2-0 in Madrid. If the Reds were to repeat the same feat this year, they would lift an outstanding treble, having already won the EFL Cup and FA Cup earlier this season.