Champions League: Real Madrid and Liverpool Will Meet in Magical Final

Soccer fans already have May 28 scheduled and reserved, and that day a new UEFA Champions League final will be played, at the Stade de France between two teams with a lot of history, mystique and prestige such as the Real Madrid and Liverpool. The team with the most Champions in its history compared to one that won it for the last time in the 2018-2019.

Both teams met in the Champions League final of the 2017-2018, when Real Madrid defeated Liverpool 3-1 and became the first team to win three consecutive editions of the competition under the current format. Liverpool would have their revenge in the following season after beating Tottenham 2-0, crowning themselves champion fourteen years after their last time.

Two of the most fit teams in the world, with two of the best squads in the world and with two different paths but with certain similarities. With all these seasonings, the grand final will feature the presence of two giants and heavyweights who will try to claim champion in Paris in the decisive match. What is the profile of both rivals?

Real Madrid in its fetish competition

As stated before, the Spanish team is the most successful team in the tournament and, as if that were not enough, they have won four of the last eight editions. Their path to the grand final was not easy at all and they had to battle against the current on many occasions, but the team managed to survive and overcome all the obstacles, all the traps that his rivals have put in his way and they have become a permanent headache for their rivals in direct elimination keys.

They were able to overcome a very uphill key in the round of 16 against PSG, then in the quarter-finals (when it seemed finished) Real eliminated Chelsea and in the semifinals against Manchester City they were able to go out of the race up to three times, but Guardiola's team forgave and Real once again achieved a spectacular comeback, almost as if the history of this competition was always written in favor of Real Madrid.

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With a level of excellence and perfection of Karim Benzema (probably the best player in the world today); with solvent and decisive performances by Thibaut Courtois in goal over and over again (interventions within the reach of very few goalkeepers); with Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo for whom age does not seem to weigh on them because they can change an adverse marker in a matter of seconds; with the experience and presence of Militao, Alaba, Modric, Kroos and Casemiro; and with secondary actors who are always ready to step in and stand out like Federico Valverde and the young Eduardo Camavinga; beating Real Madrid seems to be a titanic mission and one that seems to be doomed to failure. The Champions League is Real's favorite competition, his comfort zone and his favorite stage in the world.

Liverpool is not afraid of anything or anyone

Liverpool has been constantly reinventing itself in success, an issue that is not easy. In addition, the team has had a somewhat favorable draw on the way to the grand final and has almost always left his keys sentenced in the first leg, leaving out Inter Milan, Benfica and Villareal in the semifinals. It was precisely against the yellow submarine that they suffered the most, and it is that after the 2-0 first leg, it seemed that Klopp's men had tied the ticket to the key game, but those led by Unai Emery had a practically perfect first half and managed to equalize momentarily the series. But Liverpool woke up in the second half and with great performances from Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané and the Colombian Luis Díaz ended up deciding the match in their favor.

Their qualification for the final is the reward for continuous work, for a team that manages different registers, that can propose, suffocate and overwhelm the rival, as well as give up the initiative and kill the counterattack with the occasions that are generated. To the amount of resources that he has in all sectors of the court, Klopp added Luis Díaz last January, and the Colombian with his irreverence, enormous talent and ability to finish and generate opportunities has become one of the "wild cards" preferred by the German coach.

Mohamed Salah comes from losing "two finals" with his team against Sadio Mané's Senegal, one was the final of the African Cup of Nations and the other the qualification for the World Cup in Qatar. In this Champions League final he will seek to keep the orejona and he has with him a team that is not afraid of anything or anyone, and like a good chameleon, can change colors depending on the occasion.

Because the die is already cast and two giants of soccer world will face each other in a final that promises many blows, unbalancing players and an emotion that only the Champions League can generate. Making a forecast is impossible, due to the different styles and how the tone of the tournament has been. What is clear is that, with these two teams in the final, the fun will be guaranteed until the last minute.