UCL Final: Liverpool’s Chance for Revenge

Liverpool and Real Madrid are two sides that are steeped in history when it comes to the European Cup and Champions League, with Jurgen Klopp’s side aiming for their seventh European crown, whilst Real are looking for their 14th title in this competition.

However, heading into this match, Liverpool are casting their eyes back to the 2018 Champions League Final when they were beaten 3-1 by Real, with many suggesting that this is a chance for revenge.

Ironically since then, the Anfield club have won the Champions League, doing so just one year later against Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid, but, now find themselves looking to achieve the same revenge mission as AC Milan managed in 2007 when the Rossoneri beat the Reds just two years after their Istanbul debacle that saw them blow a three-goal lead in the 2005 Final.

Arguably Liverpool’s 2018 Champions League final loss seemingly spurred them on to create a better squad, with the likes of Alisson joining that summer due to Loris Karius’ blunders. Klopp’s men realised their potential and now come into this final four years later as favourites to lift the trophy.

Both Dani Carvajal and Mohamed Salah were reduced to tears in the 2018 final when being substituted early due to injuries, but, the Egyptian is remembered most of all, having been dragged to the floor by Sergio Ramos, dislocating his shoulder in the process.

The former Roma man was seen as Liverpool’s best form of inspiration at the time, having scored 32 Premier League goals that campaign and was consequently substituted for Adam Lallana.

However, Ramos has since departed to PSG, as has centre-back partner Raphael Varane to Manchester United, whilst Marcelo looks likely to depart at the end of the current campaign. Other key players in Gareth Bale and Isco are set to leave the Santiago Bernabeu on free transfers having played infrequently since.

Real also don’t have Cristiano Ronaldo anymore, but, do still have the opening goalscorer of the 2018 final, Karim Benzema, who has since excelled and is the favourite to claim this year’s Ballon d’Or having fired in a staggering 42 goals in 43 appearances at club level. Notably, manager Zinedine Zidane has also left the club twice since they last met in the final.

Two of Liverpool’s starters in that final have since left the club in the shapes of Dejan Lovren and Gini Wijnaldum, whilst Karius has not featured for the club since. Their bench also contrasts heavily in quality compared to that of today’s, with Nathaniel Clyne, Ragnar Klavan, Alberto Moreno, Lallana, Simon Mignolet and Dominic Solanke no longer playing their trades at Anfield.

Benzema and Salah are two of the best players in world football at present and according to the bookmakers’ are the first and third favourites to win the Ballon d’Or at the odds of 1/5 and 9/1.

The Frenchman has been sensational, having his best career season to date, scoring 42 goals and creating 14 assists in 43 matches, seeing him be the top scorer in the Champions League with 15 to his name, averaging a goal every 68 minutes in this season’s competition.

Meanwhile, Salah has managed 31 goals and 15 assists in 50 matches, but, his charge for the Ballon d’Or has seemingly faded off a bit since going to AFCON where he finished as a runner-up with Egypt, he has scored eight times, showing how blistering his form was at the start of the season.

Salah’s Champions League record this season currently stands at eight goals and two assists in 12 matches. If the Egyptian is to challenge Benzema for the Ballon d’Or, then he will likely have to win the Champions League with Liverpool this season, having played his part in the Reds also winning the EFL Cup and FA Cup.

Ahead of this match, the mind games have already started between the two, with Benzema claiming that Liverpool seems to think that they have already won, meanwhile, Salah has already previously stated that he wanted to play Real in the final of this year's competition having lost the final to them in 2018.

Whatever happens, this game promises to be an interesting prospect, having seen Real knock out the likes of PSG, Chelsea and Manchester City in dramatic fashion, whilst Liverpool have brushed aside all those that have gone up against them.