Champions League: Can Real Madrid Take All Three Premier League Giants?

Liverpool vs Real Madrid

Liverpool meet Real Madrid at the Stade de France in Paris on Saturday night to fight for the title of European Champions, and the Spaniards might just, in the process, pick up a mightily impressive treble.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men have already beaten defending champions winners Chelsea, and the Premier League champions Manchester City on the way to the Champions League final and now they must fancy their chances against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.

The Premier League is commonly acclaimed to be the best league in the world so, if successful, surely Los Blancos fans can claim their team is the best on the planet!    

This is one of the most eagerly awaited Champions League finals in recent history and it’s the third time these two teams have met in the competition finale. Liverpool won when they met Real Madrid in the 1981 final while Los Blancos came on top just four years ago in Kyiv.

So, in Paris on Sunday, we have a monumental decider…

Talking Points

Diaz and Konate can start for Liverpool

While much of his side picks itself, Klopp has two interesting choices to make in his starting 11, the first being who should line up alongside Mohamed Salah up front. With eight goals in the competition and a share of the Premier League Golden Boot, the Egyptian is a shoo-in. And, recently linked with a move to Los Blancos in the European press, the eyes of the world will be on Salah.

Senegalese hit man Sadio Mane will pick up one place alongside him, and the other is likely to go to Colombian striker Luis Diaz who has made a brilliant impact since arriving at Anfield in the January transfer window. With two goals in six Champions League appearances, and a superb performance against Villarreal in the semi-final, Diaz has done enough to edge out Portuguese striker Diogo Jota.

Liverpool’s defence is sure to feature the colossus Virgil Van Dijk and the excellent full-back pairing of Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold. And centre-back Ibrahima Konate is likely to pick up the place alongside Van Dijk, ahead of Joel Matip. The France star has started most of Liverpool’s European games and has bags of pace, which could be crucial up against the livewire Vinicius Jr and the deadly Karim Benzema.

Klopp’s only injury doubt is midfield ace Thiago Alcantara, and Jordan Henderson looks set to step in.

And that is some back up in the centre of the park. 

Real Madrid midfield picks itself

Liverpool are at odds of 2.12 to win the game with Real Madrid out at 3.25, but then the Champions League 2022 betting odds on Los Blancos getting past Manchester City were longer. And the victory over the Sky Blues could quite easily have taking up the full package of Champions League 2022 highlights as Rodrygo, with two injury-time goals and Benzema, with an extra time winner turned the tie, spectacularly, on its head.   

Benzema has scored a staggering 15 goals in the competition and he is surely destined to win the Golden Boot, with Mo Salah on eight. The Egyptian is good…but he’s not that good! 

Madrid’s strikers have the comfort of knowing which three players will sit behind them, and they could hardly be a more experienced and classy collection as Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric will patrol the middle of the park. What they lack in terms of youth, these three make up for in an abundance of skill, each with superb vision and an excellent range of passes.

If the match is won in midfield then the Whites have a strong chance.   

History

Real Madrid have had the better of Liverpool over the last seven meetings, winning four, losing two and drawing one.

The Madrid side put Liverpool out of last year’s quarter-final with a 3-1 home victory and a 0-0 draw at Anfield, and they beat the Reds 3-1 in the 2018 Champions League final.  Salah left the field injured in that clash and he has vowed revenge on the Spaniards this time around.

The Reds’ recent form is marginally better, with five wins and a draw from the last six, while Los Blancos have won three, drawn two and lost one. But in fairness to Ancelotti’s men, they had won the La Liga title before they began to drop points.

Betting Tip

This game is a really tight call to make over 90 minutes, with Liverpool at 2.20 to win, Real Madrid at 2.96 and the draw at the longest SBOTOPprice of 3.25.

Liverpool are unbeaten in 18 games but this is the biggest threat they have faced in that run, and with 1-1 at 5.99 the most likely scoreline I can see some extra time looming.  

 

●●●

CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS

Stay updated with everything sports and betting.

Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.