The day of the definition has arrived: Liverpool and Real Madrid will star today (15:00) in a spectacular Champions League final, a prestigious duel and, a priori, without a clear favorite for a new consecration in the highest club tournament in Europe.
The Stade de France, in Saint-Denis, will host the face-off of two multiple champions: Real Madrid, the tournament’s most successful winner, has 13 coronations while Liverpool is in search of its 7th Orejona.
The final will have as opponents the two teams with the best performance in the Champions League in recent years.
Real Madrid is contesting its fifth final of the last nine editions, having won the trophy in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018, the latter precisely against Liverpool, in kyiv (3-1).
For its part, the English team reaches its third final in five years, after losing against Merengue in the Ukrainian capital, and winning the following year, in 2019, against Tottenham (2-0).
– A rematch? –
The duel has a certain air of revenge, especially for one of Liverpool’s stars, Mohamed Salah, who was injured in the 2018 final in the first half after a challenge from Sergio Ramos.
“It is time for revenge. They defeated us in that final on a sad day for us”, said the Egyptian, scorer of eight goals in this Champions League.
But Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp runs away from that word. “A lot of things happened in 2018, like Salah’s injury, the way we conceded goals (two of them due to mistakes by goalkeeper Loris Karius). I don’t believe in revenge. That was left behind, ”said the German coach.
– The road to the final –
To settle in this great definition, the Spanish giant left behind Lionel Messi’s Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16, defending champion Chelsea in the quarterfinals and Guardiola’s Manchester City in the semis, with epic and agonizing comebacks.
The great team from Merseyside, meanwhile, successively eliminated Inter Milan, Benfica and Villarreal in the previous rounds.
PROBABLE LINEUPS
Liverpool: Allison; Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Thiago (or Keita); Salah, Mane, Luis Diaz. DT: Jurgen Klopp.
Real Madrid: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Mendy; Modric, Kroos, Casemiro; Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius. DT: Carlo Ancelotti.
