MOHAMED SALAH was off injured within 30 minutes of last year’s UEFA Champions League (UCL) final but celebrating inside two minutes of this one.

The last props of the opening ceremony were not even down the tunnel when Salah lashed his penalty past Hugo Lloris before lingering to show his joy in front of the Tottenham fans, long after his teammates had trundled away.

Salah has history with Spurs supporters, largely on account of being the main threat to Harry Kane winning the Golden Boot in recent seasons, but perhaps there was more to why he wanted to hang on the moment.

After all, it was on this stage last year, with club soccer’s biggest prize in sight, that Salah saw his final ended early by a tug from Sergio Ramos and a tumble on his shoulder.

And a year after defeat in the final to Real Madrid, Juergen Klopp has his first title after four years as Liverpool manager.

This time it was Tottenham midfielder Moussa Sissoko’s arm that gifted Liverpool the early penalty opening — blocking Sadio Mane’s shot after 21 seconds — and Salah converted from the spot after a video review check.

“I have sacrificed a lot for my career,” Salah said. “To come from a village, to go to Cairo, and to be an Egyptian at this level is unbelievable for me.”

On a hot and humid night in Madrid, Tottenham came to life only in the final 20 minutes of its first European Cup final.

But Liverpool completed the job in the 87th minute thanks to one of its semifinal saviors.

Divock Origi had to accept a place back on the bench despite producing two goals while deputizing for the injured Salah last month. But the substitute had the final big say in the Spanish capital, rifling a left-footed shot inside the far post.

“Every single player fought hard today,” Origi said. “So it’s just special.”

After two losing finals since triumphing in 2005, Liverpool finally rose to third in the all-time list of European champions behind 13-time winner Real Madrid and AC Milan on seven titles.

Few fans — even from Liverpool — will want to watch just how it was achieved. Both sides had gone three weeks without playing. It showed.

The sharpness was deficient, as was the ability to string passes together.

“When we look back on tonight we aren’t going to think it was a sluggish game,” Liverpool-born defender Trent Alexander-Arnold said. “We are going to think we have just won the European Cup.”

Tottenham will have only regrets as its luck run out after a season of comebacks and great escapes in the competition with a squad that had no additions.

It was Liverpool’s goalkeeping that made the difference, showing US$85 million was well spent on Alisson by American owner John Henry after Loris Karius was banished for making costly mistakes in last year’s final.

(SD-Agencies)