Two of the powerhouses of club football, Liverpool and Real Madrid, will lock horns in the final of the biggest club football competition in the world, the UEFA Champions League. The high-octane final will be played on Sunday, 29 May at 12:00 am (Pakistan time) at Stade de France, Paris.
Liverpool will be looking to avenge their 3-1 defeat at the hands of Real Madrid in the final of the 2017/18 Champions League while Real Madrid will be looking to cap off the season by adding the coveted title to their already filled trophy cabinet.
Both Real Madrid and Liverpool are two of the most successful teams in the competition’s history. Real Madrid have won the trophy a record 13 times, the most in the tournament’s history while Liverpool have done it 6 times, the joint-third most in history.
Let’s have a look at the head-to-head record:
Head-to-Head
The two teams last faced off against each other in the quarter-finals of the previous edition of the tournament. Real Madrid emerged victorious on the occasion with a 3-1 win in the first leg and a 0-0 draw in the second leg.
Overall, the two sides have played against each other 8 times which includes three two-legged affairs and two Champions League finals. Real Madrid have a superior record, having won 4 and lost 3 while 1 match ended in a draw.
Both the teams have won one final against each other. Liverpool defeated Real Madrid 1-0 in the 1980/81 final in what was the first-ever Champions League match between the two sides. Real Madrid won the second final between the two sides in 2017/18.
Here’s the overall record:
| Matches | Real Madrid | Liverpool | Draws |
| 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
Here is the breakdown:
| Match | Score | Venue |
| 1980/81 – Final | Liverpool 1 – 0 Real Madrid | Parc des Princes, Paris |
| 2008/09 Round of 16 Р1st leg | Liverpool 1 Р0 Real Madrid | Santiago Bernab̩u, Madrid |
| 2008/09 Round of 16 – 2nd leg | Liverpool 4 – 0 Real Madrid | Anfield, Liverpool |
| 2014/15 Group Stage – 1st match | Liverpool 0 – 3 Real Madrid | Anfield, Liverpool |
| 2014/15 Group Stage Р2nd match | Liverpool 0 Р1 Real Madrid | Santiago Bernab̩u, Madrid |
| 2017/18 – Final | Liverpool 1 – 3 Real Madrid | Olympic National Sports Complex, Kyiv |
| 2020/21 Quarter Final Р1st Leg | Liverpool 1 Р3 Real Madrid | Alfredo Di St̩fano Stadium, Madrid |
| 2020/21 Quarter Final – 2nd Leg | Liverpool 0 – 0 Real Madrid | Anfield, Liverpool |
Road to Final
Liverpool and Real Madrid both have qualified for the UEFA Champions League final on the back of a string of powerful performances throughout the tournament.
Liverpool were drawn in Group B alongside Atletico Madrid, AC Milan, and FC Porto in what was considered to be the group of death. The Reds aced through the group, winning all six of their matches, scoring 17 goals, and conceding only 6.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, were drawn in Group D alongside Inter Milan, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Sheriff FC. Los Blancos suffered a shock defeat to Sheriff on the second matchday but managed to win the rest of their group stage matches as they topped their group.
The two sides had a contrasting route in the knock-out rounds of the competition. Madrid faced the likes of Paris Saint Germain, Chelsea, and Man City on their road to the final while Liverpool faced Inter Milan, Benfica, and Villareal. As expected, Liverpool cruised through their ties while Madrid battled hard to reach the final.
Overall, Liverpool have won 10, drawn 1 and lost 1 match while Madrid have won 8 and lost 4 on their road to the final of the competition.
Here is the road to the final:
Predicted Line-ups
While Real Madrid have no injury worries ahead of the final, Liverpool will be sweating on the injury status of three of their stars, Virgil Van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, and Thiago Alcantara. Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are expected to recover in time while Thiago is a 50-50 with a late fitness test pending to decide his participation.
Here are the expected line-ups:
| Real Madrid | Liverpool |
| Thibaut Courtois | Alisson Becker |
| Dani Carvajal | Trent Alexander-Arnold |
| Eder Militao | Joel Matip |
| David Alaba | Virgil Van Dijk |
| Ferland Mendy | Andrew Roberston |
| Casemiro | Fabinho |
| Luka Modric | Jordan Henderson |
| Toni Kroos | Thiago Alcantara |
| Fede Valverde | Mohamed Salah |
| Vinicius Jnr. | Luis Diaz |
| Karim Benzema | Sadio Mane |
What are your predictions for the final? Write down your answers below!
