Carlo Ancelotti says Liverpool were "easier" for Real Madrid than Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City after their UEFA Champions League final victory in Paris on Saturday.
Los Blancos claimed a 1-0 victory over Jurgen KIopp's Reds to claim their first continental crown since 2018, when they beat the Premier League outfit previously.
It took several feats of last-gasp magic and great escapes against a trio of heavyweights to get there, and speaking afterwards, Ancelotti suggested the final contest had been the easiest of all for his side.
What has Ancelotti said about facing Liverpool?
"Looking back, people said PSG were unlucky, Chelsea were unlucky, Manchester City were unlucky," the Italian said in his post-match press conference.
"This was practically the only game where people thought we were more or less on the same level.
"I think it helped that Liverpool were easier to decipher than the others, because they have a very clear identity and we could prepare the way that we did. We knew what strategy to take - don’t give them space behind the defence to run into.
"Perhaps our football wasn’t extraordinarily beautiful on an aesthetic level, but playing out from the back to incentivise their pressing wasn’t a great idea. We had a few more long balls, then we got to control the ball more, especially in the second half."