Liverpool's campaign at 2017/18 Champions League

Real Madrid have won their third successive Champions League title, beating Liverpool 3-1. 

Goals from Gareth Bale and Karim Benzemaproved Los Blancos are still the best team in Europe. 

Liverpool were not serious contenders for the title at the beginning of the season. They had to go the extra mile to earn themselves a place in the group stages. 

They went past Hoffenheim on a 6-3 aggregate over a two-legged play-off to be admitted into Group E, where they met Sevilla, Spartak Moscow, and Maribor. 

Emre Can(2nd,right) celebrates after he scores his sides third goal during the Champions League qualifying play-off second leg soccer match between Liverpool and Hoffenheim at Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017. [Photo: AP]

Liverpool did not get the dream start they hoped either, opening with two draws against Sevilla and Spartak Moscow. 

Two wins against Maribor, including a 7-0 demolition job, boosted the morale but Liverpool's qualification for the knock-outs was thrown into jeopardy after they squandered a 3-0 lead against Seville for a draw, where the Reds found themselves at the wrong end of a repeat of the Miracle of Istanbul. 

They bounced back with another 7-0 routing, this time against Spartak Moscow, to secure top spot from the group. 

Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho, center, celebrates with his teammates after scoring his side's fifth goal during the Champions League Group E soccer match between Liverpool and Spartak Moscow at Anfield, Liverpool, England, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. [Photo: AP]

With 23 goals, Liverpool set a new record for the most Champions League group-stage goals from any English team in history. 

They also became the team with the second most group goals in the history of the Champions League. Only Paris Saint-Germain managed to score more, with 26 goals from the same phase this season. 

Liverpool needed only 90 minutes to finish their job in the round of 16 – they were all but inside the quarterfinals after a 5-0 away victory against Porto. The two teams played the return leg to a goalless draw and Liverpool progressed only to find themselves against their Premier League rivals Manchester City. 

Liverpool showed no fear against their league leaders. Mohamed Salah was the man of the tie, providing one goal and assisting another in Liverpool's first-leg 3-0 win. 

Salah got the away goal Liverpool needed in the return leg and led a 2-1 victory for a 5-1 aggregate over Man City. 

Liverpool's Roberto Firmino celebrates scoring his side's second goal during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Manchester City and Liverpool at Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Tuesday, April 10, 2018. [Photo: AP]

Liverpool met what was probably their closest match in Roma in the quarterfinals. 

Salah continued to leave his mark as he hit a brace in Liverpool's 5-2 home win against Roma in the first leg. 

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah fires a shot during the Champions League semifinal second leg soccer match between Roma and Liverpool at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, Wednesday, May 2, 2018. [Photo: AP]

But that far from guaranteed anything for Liverpool, given Roma's epic comeback against Barcelona in the quarters. 

And Roma did make things difficult for Liverpool. They fought until the very end of stoppage time but ended up one goal too short to force the tie into extra time. 

Liverpool marched on into the Champions League final 7-6 on aggregate, thanks to goals from Sadio Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum at Roma.