The Liverpool striker showed no nerves as he struck from the penalty spot in the second minute to put the Merseyside club on their way to a sixth major European crown.
Yet unusually, on the morning of the game at the Madrid team hotel, Salah looked at an image of himself.
The one from the Champions League final a year ago when he left the Kiev pitch in tears with a dislocated shoulder, following Sergio Ramos’ challenge half an hour in.
Liverpool, who lost 3-1 to Real Madrid that night, helped erase those memories with Saturday’s 2-0 win over Tottenham.
Salah, 26, giving a rare interview after the match, said: “Last year was one of the worst moments of my life and I think this is one of the best.
“I looked at a picture before the game of me in that final last year in tears.
“It was so awful. We were so upset and disappointed after the final and now, here we are, back and winning the trophy.
“I was so very disappointed I had that injury last year. I went off after just 30 minutes and we lost the game.
“So I looked at the picture to motivate me and win the game this time.
“I thought I needed to remind myself. Honestly, I don’t look at the picture and stare at it for a long time!
“But it was just something I could use to motivate me and I just looked at it one time and said, ‘OK, let’s not have that again, let’s go on and win it’.
“It is the sixth time for Liverpool, it is something great.
“The final of the Champions League, taking a penalty so early…
“We had the courage, the bottle to win the trophy. It’s just a great feeling.”
Asked whether he believes in fate, the Egyptian forward said: “Yes, of course. Of course I thought we would do something special. Absolutely.
“Our game is more about mentality. You have to believe in yourself and believe for the game.
“If you could see the players out there, you could see we believed in ourselves and what we could achieve.
“I think everything happens for a reason and the reason last year for us to lose the final was to come back and win it again.”
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