Gareth Bale has revealed he consoled Loris Karius after his mistakes in last season’s Champions League final
Bale started the game in Kiev as a substitute but ended it as the match winner. His two goals, both memorable for entirely different reasons, gave Real Madrid a 3-1 victory over Liverpool to win their third successive European Cup.
Karius had gifted Real the lead when his attempt to roll the ball out to a teammate was intercepted by Karim Benzema early in the second half. Though Sadio Mane equalised soon after, Bale restored the Spanish side’s lead with an incredible overhead kick. He scored again seven minutes from full-time, Karius fumbling his shot from distance to all but settle the contest.
Although it’s since emerged that the goalkeeper was suffering from concussion during the final, Karius has endured plenty of abuse since that night – unfairly, in Bale’s opinion.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, the Welshman says many have underestimated how difficult it was for Karius to judge the flight of the shot which saw him score his second goal of the game.
“‘I always try to put a bit of wobble on the ball,” Bale explains.
“It’s the same with free-kicks. You try to make it more difficult because if it doesn’t go in the corner I always give them a problem if it’s right down their throat.”
Although the 29-year-old also adds that he didn’t see much of Liverpool’s players following the full-time whistle, he does make clear that he made time to speak to Karius, offering him words of encouragement.
“I just said, ‘Keep your head up’,” he says. “Mistakes happen. It’s just unfortunate it’s in a final. Yes, I suppose it’s not quite as bad as it looked but I suppose he should save it.”
Karius remains a Liverpool player, but has since left the club for a two-year loan spell with Besiktas. Given that Jurgen Klopp has brought in Alisson Becker from Roma over the summer, it’s difficult to see the German resurrecting his career at Anfield.
