Champions League: The Other Finals that Luis Díaz has Played

You can count on one hand the number of Colombians who have reached the final of the Champions League, the highest stage in international soccer. These are: Iván Ramiro Córdoba, Juan Guillermo Cuadrado, James Rodríguez and Davinson Sánchez. Of this group, only Cuadrado played minutes in the game, in 2016, losing 4-1 against Real Madrid. Today, Luis Díaz joins this list.

But things are a little different this time. Díaz does not reach the final as just another player, but as a key piece in the Liverpool line-up. With 4 goals and an assist in the 12 games he has played in this competition, it is very possible that this time we will see the first goal of a Colombian in Champions finals.

“El guajiro” is no stranger to the pressure of the finals. As the winner of 2 titles in Colombia and several titles abroad , he has already been within millimeters of a cup on several occasions. How have you been on these occasions? Here we tell you.

His two great titles with the Junior

Díaz was the champion of the Colombia Cup in 2017, in a duel that Junior won after winning 3-1 on aggregate against Independiente Medellín.

But his best moment in Colombian soccer came in the finals against Independiente Medellín in 2018, in which Junior de Barranquilla won 4-1. Díaz scored a goal in the 50th minute of the match, in a resounding victory for his team.

His heart-stopping finals with Porto

In 2020, the year in which he played two more finals with the Portuguese. The first was the National Cup against Benfica in which his team won 2-1. This time, Diaz was sent off. This is one of the negative marks in his career, as it was the fastest red card that Porto has received in a Cup final. It was an anti-record that is better to forget.

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The other final that he played with Porto was the Super Cup, in which he won again against Benfica 2-0 entering the 77th minute. Lucho was essential in this match, scoring a goal in the 90th minute to definitively ensure victory for his team.

What can we expect this time?

“We were one point away from winning the League. We gave everything for everything, everything possible was done to achieve it, but it did not happen. Now, prepare for what is to come and go out to win the final” said Díaz in an interview with ESPN regarding this final.

The truth is that a complicated match is coming, in which the Colombian might not have the leading role that we expect from him. Even so, just by getting the victory, this would represent a huge step for the cafeteros in this competition.

Will Luis Diaz and Liverpool be able to overcome an opponent as experienced as Real Madrid? The teamwork between Fabinho, Thiago and Díaz will be what will determine if this dream comes true.