Real Madrid wins UEFA Champions League for 3rd straight year

Real Madrid's players celebrate after winning the UEFA Champions League final game between Real Madrid and Liverpool FC at the NSC Olimpiyskiy stadium in Kiev, Ukraine, 26 May 2018. [Photo: IC]

Real Madrid on Saturday night defeated Liverpool 3-1 in the 2018 UEFA Champions League final to become the first team since Bayern Munich in 1976 to lift the trophy for three consecutive years.

In the match that was held at the NSC Olympic stadium in front of about 63,000 spectators, both teams made a fast start.

However, the injuries and the replacements of Mohamed Salah and Dani Carvajal have slowed the game down in the first half, which ended goalless.

Zinedine Zidane's squad took control of the ball at the beginning of the second half and Karim Benzema put them in front in the 51st minute.

Sadio Mane levelled the score just four minutes later, but in the 64th minute Gareth Bale gave Real Madrid a 2-1 lead.

Bale scored his second goal in the game in the 83rd minute, sealing the win for the team from Spain.

With the victory, Real Madrid clinched its 13th Champions League title, cementing its position of the most successful club in the history of the competition.