UEFA Champions League Final 2018 - Real Madrid 3-1 Liverpool

TEAM NEWS

Some team news for you.

Both teams are lining up 4-3-3, and the big news for Real is that Isco gets the nod to start just behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema up front, meaning Gareth Bale is on the bench.

Liverpool’s line-up is as expected, with the front three of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firminho and Mo Salah set to menace the Madrid defence.

REAL

Navas; Carvajal, Ramos, Varane, Marcelo; Modric, Casemiro, Kroos; Isco, Benzema, Ronaldo

Liverpool

Karius; Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson; Wijnaldum, Henderson, Milner; Salah, Firmino, Mane

Goals, goals, goals?

We don’t want to jinx it, but everything is pointing towards a healthy helping of goals in tonight’s game.

Questionable keepers – tick
Dodgy defending – tick
Red-hot strike forces – tick

Liverpool are the top scorers in this season’s Champions League with 40 goals, including 7 which came in a rout against Spartak Moscow at Anfield in the group stage.

The Reds’ attacking trident is among the most feared in the game. Prolific Egyptian Mohamed Salah has 10 goals in this season’s Champions League, part of a 44-goal haul for the season so far. Brazilian striker Roberto Firminho also has 10 in Europe’s top competition, while Sadio Mane has netted nine times.

Real Madrid, however, have a certain Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese forward has 15 goals in 12 Champions League games this season and a staggering 120 overall in the competition.

Ronaldo could win his fifth European title tonight – a fourth with Real to add to the first he won with Manchester United in Moscow 10 years ago.

Klopp’s final curse?

Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp has contested six finals as a manager – 4 with Borussia Dortmund and two with Liverpool – but his only victory came in a 5-2 German cup win for Dortmund over Bayern Munich in 2012.

He has lost five straight finals since, including the Champions League final with Dortmund, again against Bayern in 2013, and the 2016 Europa League final with Liverpool against Sevilla.

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has won both finals he’s contested as a manager – the 2016 and 2017 Champions League finals, and also has a 2017 La Liga title to his name.

Zidane is aiming to become the third manager to win the European Cup/Champions League three times – joining Liverpool great Bob Paisley and Italian Carlo Ancelotti.

Zidane would be the first to win an unprecedented treble of three Champions Leagues on the trot. 

Kiev

Many of the fans in the stadium have faced arduous journeys over land, air and sea to make it to the final tonight, with hundreds of Liverpool fans being stranded when their flights were cancelled just days before the game.

© Paul Chesterton © Global Look Press

Real Madrid returned a reported 1,500 tickets allocated to their fans, after supporters faced difficulties with transport and astronomical accommodation costs for the final.

However, there are around 63,000 people packed into Olimpiyskiy Stadium, with the mood building with around 10 minutes to go till kick-off…

OPENING CEREMONY

The opening ceremony is underway in Kiev, with British pop star Dua Lipa currently warming up the crowd with rap star Sean Paul.

Countdown to Kick Off

A matter of minutes until the match kicks off in Kiev. Ukrainian former striker Andrew Shevchenko carries out the famous trophy onto the pitch.

The teams are out, the Champions League anthem has been sung and we are about to kick off..

KICK-OFF

We are underway in Kiev for the 2018 UEFA Champions League final. Liverpool in their traditional red, Real Madrid in their royal white.

Allez! Allez! Allez...

Liverpool fans making a fierce noise inside the stadium. Will it be their night tonight?

(2 mins) – Both teams showing attacking intent in the opening stages. Liverpool make a raid into the Madrid box in the first minute before Varane snuffs out the danger, then Madrid break down the left through Ronaldo but Karius punches his cross clear.