As BeIN Sports commentator Wenger put it, the first half could be summed up in one sentence: both teams had chosen the approach most likely to win the title.
But that approach might not have been what the fans most wanted to see.
They had watched Ajax fight their way through every obstacle and storm into the Champions League Final with unstoppable momentum, only to find that in the final, the team was no longer passionate and no longer playing the beautiful attacking football that had been so pleasing to watch. Instead, they had adopted a steadier, more conservative style, leaving many people disappointed.
No one questioned whether Ajax could play attacking football. The team had already proved through its first twelve official Champions League matches of the season that it had reached the final on the strength of that attacking style.
But as Mourinho had said, "The approach that worked in the first twelve matches is very difficult to make work in the Champions League Final, because this is the Champions League Final!"
"Any team that reaches the Champions League Final is the most successful and most stable team tactically and technically over the past season. They'll do everything possible to target their opponent's weaknesses."
"That's why we're seeing a Liverpool tonight that isn't the Liverpool we wanted to see, and an Ajax that isn't the best Ajax, because this is the Champions League Final. No one can afford to take risks in a one-off final like this!"
But both Wenger and Mourinho had given Yang Yang and Ajax very high praise for their performances.
"The final statistics show that Ajax had sixty-five percent possession in the first half, and that includes the nearly ten minutes when they were on the back foot. This shows that after weathering Liverpool's