Follow along here as the two European giants meet in a dynamic title match in Paris, where more history will be made.
The road to Paris has been filled with twists and turns, but on Saturday, two European giants in Liverpool and Real Madrid will meet to decide the Champions League title.
No team has won more Champions League titles than Real Madrid’s 13, and its 2021-22 run has been nothing short of legendary. Real overcame aggregate deficits in stunning fashion in each of the knockout stages against powerhouses like Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City.
In six knockout stage games, Karim Benzema stole the show with 10 goals, including two hat tricks to jump to the forefront of the Ballon d’Or conversation. Liverpool’s Sadio Mané is another name in contention for the award after also leading Senegal to an African Cup of Nations win in addition to Liverpool’s triumphs.
Liverpool took an easier route to the final with knockout stage wins over Inter Milan, Benfica and Villarreal. But in its most recent triumph, Liverpool blew a two-goal aggregate lead to upstart Villarreal before three second-half goals saw the Reds advance to the final.
After winning the League Cup and FA Cup earlier this season, Liverpool’s hopes of a quadruple were squandered on the last day of the Premier League season by a series of late goals from Man City, which clinched its fourth title in five years. Meanwhile, Real Madrid won its 35th Spanish league title earlier this year.
Four years ago, the two sides met in the Champions League final in Kyiv. Real Madrid prevailed, 3–1, thanks in part to two second-half goals from Gareth Bale. However, the game has been widely remembered for Sergio Ramos injuring Mohamed Salah in the first half, and the Egyptian has vowed to exact a measure of revenge with his new opportunity.
Stay tuned here for live updates and highlights of goals and key plays from throughout the match (refresh for most recent updates).
Here are the starting lineups for Saturday’s final:
Liverpool XI
Real Madrid XI
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