Arsene Wenger picks 2 Liverpool stars who failed to impress against Real Madrid.

Arsene Wenger picks 2 Liverpool stars who failed to impress against Real Madrid.

Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, according to former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, were below average in Liverpool’s UEFA Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid.

The Reds were defeated 1-0 by the Spanish champions at the Stade de France in Paris on Saturday, thanks to a goal from Vinicius Junior in the second half.

Jurgen Klopp’s team was statistically the more dominant, with 24 shots (six times more than Real Madrid) and controlling 54 percent of the ball.

Salah and mane (photo by Getty images)

They were unable to locate the back of the net, however. That’s because Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was in top form, making a record nine stops in a ‘Man of the Match’ effort to keep Liverpool at bay.

Salah was denied a several opportunities by Courtois, who also made a fantastic stop from Mane in the first half. That, according to Wenger, is why Liverpool’s talismans failed to impress on the night.

Speaking on beIN Sports, the Frenchman said (via Liverpool Echo):

“You felt as well that Salah, Mane, the guys who make the difference, didn’t have the same freshness, the same belief that they can make the difference. Overall they came short, we must be honest, because of Courtois.

He continued:

“I felt at some stage that if Liverpool came back to 1-1, they’d come back and win the game.

“But they never found that special moment where they could finish their chances off, and a lot of that is down to Courtois.”

Salah and Mane have had fantastic seasons on their own. In 51 appearances, the Egyptian scored 31 goals and added 16 assists, while Mane scored 23 goals and added five assists.

However, neither player was able to match Madrid on the night, and the Reds were defeated in another European final.

More crucially, the loss jeopardizes the duo’s prospects of winning the Ballon d’Or, with Whites striker Karim Benzema now firmly in the driver’s seat.

In other news, Jurgen Klopp has pinpointed key reasons behind Liverpool’s defeat to Real Madrid, and he has a simple solution