Self-isolation has got us doing some crazy things. We've turned toilet roll into the new currency while TikTok addictions are through the roof, and even Tottenham fans are re-watching the 2019 Champions League final.
Or maybe that's just me.
Nevertheless, from putting myself through the torturous 90 minutes once more, one thing was pretty obvious: Spurs missed a major opportunity to be crowned the champions of Europe.
Here's a breakdown of events at
First Half
Quite the start, eh?
A frantic opening from kick-off eventually saw the loose ball fall to Jordan Henderson, who exploited an unbalanced defensive line and Kieran Trippier's errant positioning to find Sadio Mane in behind down the left flank with a delicately weighted lofted pass.
The Senegalese star latched onto Henderson's pass before winning the Reds a ridiculously early penalty via the arm of Moussa Sissoko. Mohamed Salah, of course, blasted the spot-kick home to give Klopp's side a 1-0 lead.
Despite the woeful start, Spurs settled nicely into proceedings. They were superb in the first phase - which they often were under Mauricio Pochettino - as Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen split either side of the penalty area while full-backs Kieran Trippier and Danny Rose were positioned high and wide. A key ploy in the first half was to draw Georginio Wijnaldum higher up the pitch to leave space for chief creator Christian Eriksen, which Spurs executed to perfection by Sissoko moving deeper and attracting Liverpool's dynamic Dutchman.
And although Klopp's side did a good job at preventing the midfield pivot from receiving possession from the centre backs, Spurs had plenty of joy playing through the technically proficient Trippier down the right.
The Lilywhites' clearest opening of the half came from brave build-up play from a goal kick. Trippier, Eriksen - who drew out Andy Robertson - and Kane - who out-duelled Virgil van Dijk - combined before the Dane slid in Son Heung-min, who made a darting run in from the left. Trent Alexander-Arnold, however, was able to win the one-v-one battle with the South Korean before he could reach the penalty area.
When Poch's side progressed into the second phase, they also caused Liverpool's midfield three problems via an overload - with Dele Alli
Overall, it was obvious that Spurs' fluidity was causing Klopp's side issues but particularly Eriksen, Alli and Trippier failed to make use of the dangerous positions they found themselves in.
When Liverpool were in possession, they had a clear emphasis on going long - a complete switch in style from Klopp. Mane was constantly trying to make diagonal runs in behind the Spurs defence while the front three was purposely narrow to help win the second ball.
They had minimal success with the direct tactic after taking the lead, however, with their back four combining for a staggering 37 long balls in the final. Only ten were accurate.
The variety of systems used by Pochettino out of possession and his intense man-oriented press should also be credited for disrupting Liverpool's ability to retain possession as well as ensuring their most dynamic midfielder, Wijnaldum, was a non-factor - the Dutchman had just 15 touches in his 61 minutes of action as the midfield was persistently bypassed.
While they were pretty woeful in possession, Liverpool were very compact when they got into their settled defensive shape - a 4-5-1 mid-block. Space for Kane came at a premium while Spurs often shot themselves in the foot when they did create overloads in the final third, with either poor decision-making or simply poor execution often letting them down.
Second Half
No changes by either manager at the break but we did see a slight alteration from Pochettino: Alli and Son joined Kane to create a narrow front three, while Eriksen operated as the sole creator between the lines.
This alteration saw Spurs play more direct as they became a little desperate in their search for an equaliser. Liverpool's back two of van Dijk and Joel Matip - who made 14 clearances alone - were able to deal with this threat with relative ease as it was clear Kane wasn't moving at full tilt.
Nevertheless, Liverpool's continued woes at retaining possession - the team finished with a 63% pass success rate - meant they weren't able to kill the game off. It wasn't until the impressive Winks was substituted just after the hour mark when Liverpool started to play through the lines of Spurs with more ease. When Moura came on at the expense of Winks, Poch deployed Eriksen alongside Sissoko in a bid to get his playmaker on the ball as much as possible as Liverpool's block started to get deeper.
And although Spurs struggled to play vertically in their new system, Moura still had two very good chances to draw Spurs level.
The first came after the Lilywhites had created a long-range opening for Son
There were also more examples of poor decision-making from the likes of Son and Alli on the rare occasions where they found themselves with a numerical advantage in the final third after the break
And then, eventually, Liverpool put the nail in the coffin as substitute Divock Origi blasted home Liverpool's second after Spurs
And that, folks, was all she wrote.
Conclusion
First things first, it was clear that the three-week delay and insufferable Madrid heat both contributed to an error-ridden and pretty dull contest overall, despite it holding a lot of intrigue from a tactical perspective.
For all their woes in possession, Liverpool's defence was superb throughout and their compact block ensured Spurs didn't create many clear-cut chances despite the Lilywhites' dominance of the ball.
Nevertheless, this was still a massive missed opportunity for Pochettino's side. They couldn't have played much better against Liverpool's intense high-press while they often found their key creators in dangerous positions. Ultimately, a lack of penetration, poor decision-making and the inability to execute the final pass cost Spurs. Although with Moura's two chances, Alli's header and a couple of efforts from distance, you could probably say Spurs created enough to warrant an equaliser before Origi doubled the lead.
Poch's gameplan seemed tailored for Eriksen - with the ploy to create space for him in the first half followed by his deeper role in the second - but the seemingly disinterested Dane paid him back with a disasterclass of the highest order. A vintage display from Spurs' chief creator and the Lilywhites are likely European champions - seriously.
And finally, with the way the game played out, it's hard to envisage how Moura starting over Kane would've made a difference, especially with the Amsterdam hero's woeful decision-making and the minimal amount of space Liverpool afforded in behind.
As Spurs started to go more 'long ball', Fernando Llorente - who wasn't brought on until the 80th minute - would've been a better option up top than a struggling Kane, but it's understandable why Poch stuck with his talisman as he patiently waited for that moment...which ultimately never came.
Source : 90min