Gareth Bale reveals Liverpool players admitted they were so nervous they struggled to SLEEP ahead of the 2018 Champions League final, claiming Real Madrid’s ‘winners’ mentality’ saw them triumph in Kyiv
- Gareth Bale has revealed a confession Liverpool players made to him in 2018
- Bale scored a series of goals during the match, including a stunning bicycle kick
- Stay up to date with the latest transfer news, updates and gossip at Mail Sport
Gareth Bale has spoken out about a confession some Liverpool players reportedly made to him ahead of the 2018 Champions League final.
The Welshman was the star of the show, coming on in the second half to replace Isco and provide a focal point in the attack for Zinedine Zidane’s side.
After a tense first half, Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane exchanged strikes to make it 1-1 before the 33-year-old, who announced his retirement from professional football earlier this year, scored one of the most impressive goals ever. seen in a Champions League final.
Bale stepped onto the pitch and just three minutes later hit a sensational bicycle kick past Loris Karius into goal to put the Galacticos 2-1 up after 64 minutes.
But he wasn’t finished there, returning 20 minutes later to hit a long-range effort at the Liverpool goalkeeper who fumbled the save and let the thumping effort pass through his hands to give the LaLiga side a 3- to deliver 1 win.
Gareth Bale has revealed a telling confession Liverpool players told him ahead of the 2018 Champions League final
Bale (centre) was the star of the show, scoring a string of goals to help his side win 3-1
It was heartbreak for Liverpool, but they would return the following year to win the tournament
In a seven-year spell at the club, Bale won five Champions League trophies, three LaLiga titles and a Copa Del Rey.
Following his big move from Tottenham Hotspur, he made 258 appearances and scored 106 goals in all competitions for Madrid, making his side one of the most successful and feared teams in European football.
Bale has now shined a light on the emotions of some players in Jurgen Klopp’s squad ahead of the 2018 final, admitting some had told him they were having trouble sleeping the night before the game.
“I remember talking to Liverpool players before the first Champions League final where we faced each other,” Bale said in an interview with BT Sport.
“It was hard for them to sleep, they were nervous… we had a different mindset. We only thought about winning, and even more so in a final, despite the fact that they played better than us.’
It comes as Adam Lallana had previously admitted to feeling ‘petrified’ during the finale.
Liverpool would eventually undo Kiev’s heartbreak and win their sixth European Cup the following year by beating Tottenham 2-0 in Madrid.
But the Welshman, who moved to Los Angeles FC prior to his retirement where he played 14 games, highlighted the differences in standards between the MLS team and those of Real Madrid.
Bale: ‘If you lose at Real Madrid, it’s like the world has ended. You have been crucified. You feel down. You go home and you are not happy.
Bale came on as a second half substitute and scored a sensational bicycle kick to make it 2-1
Bale also noted the differences in standards between Real Madrid and those of his last club Los Angeles FC
“They (in the US) accept losing a little more. There is no consequence. You can’t downgrade there. If you lose a game, you move on to the next. They accept losses much better there.’
Bale has since been spotted on the golf course and it seems his skills with a club in hand are almost as impressive as his football skills.
Earlier this year, a video emerged showing the former Welsh forward hitting a miraculous hole-in-one at California’s Torrey Pines Golf Course.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have also tried to bring him out of retirement to play for Wrexham but, according to his agent, it appears he no longer wants to play football.