Real Madrid vs Liverpool | UEFA Champions League Final | 05.26.18[R]

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Real Madrid vs Liverpool
UEFA Champions League 2018 - Final
Venue: Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kyiv
Referee: Milorad Mažić (Serbia)
Saturday; May 26, 2018, 19:45 CET
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Watch Live on BT Sports' YT Channel (Free)
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This is it guys, our last stop, with probably the whole season on the line, a final –our 3rd consecutive one- against the last team that has managed to not lose against us in a European Cup final. So it’s fair to say the stakes are a bit higher than our “average CL final” (not that you can use that term for any team bar RM, mind), especially more so with the amount of accumulated salt generated by the media, fans of many different clubs, and basically all the world over the past 5 years due to our almost unprecedented success in the modern era of this competition. So let's strike the iron while it's hot!


Notes:

• We are the first team to reach three successive CL finals since Juventus between 1996 and 1998 – they won only one of those matches.

• We have met 5 times already, all in the European Cup, with Liverpool winning 3 and us winning 2.

• Should we win, we would be the fourth team to do the three-peat – first in the CL era and and first to do it twice, following our victories in the first five ECs between 1956 and 1960. Ajax (1971–73) and Bayern (1974–76) are the other two.

• Zidane could also become the first coach to win three European Cups in a row, having become the first to win the UEFA Champions League in consecutive seasons in 2017.

• Ronaldo could become only the 5th player to appear in five EC/CL final victories, and the first in the CL era; the other four players are our old trio of Paco Gento (the only player to appear in six final victories), Alfredo Di Stéfano and José María Zárraga, and Milan's Paolo Maldini.

• This is a repeat of the 1981 EC final, won 1-0 by Liverpool in Paris, our last defeat in the final of EC.

• Ronaldo's two goals against Juventus made him the first player to score in three CL finals.

• Sergio Ramos could join Ronaldo in scoring in three finals. He is already one of only five players to have scored in two finals, along with Raúl (2000, 2002), Eto'o (2006, 2009), Messi (2009, 2011) and Mandžukić (2013, 2017).

• Liverpool are the top scorers in this season's CL with 40 goals, also a record for an English club. Salah, Firmino (both ten goals) and Mané (nine) have contributed 29 of those; only Ronaldo, with 15, has scored more goals than their trio.

• James Milner set a new UEFA Champions League record with his assist in the semi-final first leg – his ninth in this season's competition.
  
  
• This is the ninth time that two clubs have met for a second time in the EC final – and, coincidentally, the third season in a row!

• This is our fourth final rematch, and having won all three previous such encounters (2016 and 2017); we also beat Stade de Reims in 1956 and 1959.

Fun fact

• Karim Benzema is the only player that has scored both home and away (3 in total) the last time the two clubs met, in 2014/15 group stage.

Team News and Line-ups

• Nacho has not played since 31 March due to a muscle injury but he should be OK for the final.
• Joe Gomez, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Joel Matip have already been ruled out.
  
• Emre Can and Adam Lallana have trained with their squad but might not be fully match fit.

While our line-up is anyone's guess, their line-up should include the tried-and-true front three of Salah, Firmino and Mane, with Milner, Henderson and Wijnaldum in the middle, and Robertson, Dijk, Lovren and Arnold at the back. I'd be really surprised to see even one change.

As for our line-up from the BBC style 4-3-3 to the 4-4-2/4-3-3 hybrid featuring Isco or straight 4-4-2 with Lucas and/or Asensio on the wings etc. etc., I'd prefer either of the first two options, Isco has had a great track record in finals, be it as a starter or a sub, he can help Marcelo contain our left side and at the same time overload their right flank, similarly, Bale has been on a great form as of late, can offer the badly needed pace up front in counter-attacks, and help Dani on the right side and be a closer match to their quick players on the right in Mane and Robertson, he might offer a bit more on defending & attacking set-pieces as well, which has been one of Liverpool's weaknesses. Or we can start with the former and end with the latter.


Quotes

• Klopp re Zizou: “I’m glad we’re not playing against each other. Me against him, marking him or whatever... I’m very glad I can send my players onto the pitch, he’s one of the top 10... top five players of all time. And now he’s the coach of Real Madrid, a hugely experienced team on the pitch. That’ll be a nice challenge.”

• Zizou: “It may be the toughest final we’ve had”

• Isco: “We will all be ready to play and then the coach will have to choose those who he thinks will do better. Let him take the rap!”

• Kroos: “I’ve faced Klopp many times in the past and I know how his teams play. They will all run like animals throughout the entire game. They are great upfront but their defense and midfield is also good. It means nothing to be the favorites here.”

• Kovacic: “It’s very unusual to play for our third straight European title. It’s unbelievable.”

• Casemiro: “I know what my job is. I have to help my teammates and make their life easier.”

• Ramos: “My goal in Lisbon will be an anecdote. I’d rather not score any goals in 20 years but collecting Champions League titles.”

Strike it


While


It's


Hot.

Hala Madrid y nada más!