For Liverpool, it was a game too far. No 63 of a season in which they have contested every single one that has been open to them was supposed to bring the crowning glory, the moment to define Jürgen Klopp’s era.
There have been six trophies under the manager, including two massive ones – the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League the following season. But to beat Real Madrid in an almost impossibly glamorous showpiece to complete a Cup treble – with the League Cup and FA Cup already in the cabinet – promised a new, more rarefied high.