The final game of the 2021-22 season for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool sees the Merseysiders compete for the biggest prize in European club football.
Liverpool face Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid in the finals of the UEFA Champions League in Paris on Saturday night with both teams set to battle it out for the coveted trophy.
The Merseysiders have their sights on a seventh title in the competition’s history but would find it to be nothing short of a stern challenge against the Spanish champions Real who are looking to clinch it a record-extending 14th time.
Klopp’s men head into the upcoming contest on the back of a bittersweet win over Wolves in the final Premier League game of the season with the Reds picking up a 3-1 scoreline against the Midlanders at Anfield on Sunday.
The result, however, did not secure them the top-flight crown with Manchester City’s dramatic turnaround against Aston Villa meaning that Pep Guardiola’s side finished first, just a point adrift of Jordan Henderson and Co, who were on the hunt for an unprecedented quadruple this season.
Successes in the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup have been on the show for Liverpool so far in the campaign and a potential Champions League trophy could well add to a fantastic season for Klopp and his players who would be eager to get past the disappointment of the Premier League final day drama.
The Paris showdown against Real will be a revenge-seeking mission for some in the Liverpool camp after the 2018 tie in Kyiv which finished in a 3-1 win for the La Liga heavyweights courtesy of that horror showing between the sticks from the then Liverpool No.1 Loris Karius.
Real have proven to be the toughest of opponents for Klopp who boasts of an uninspiring 33% win percentage when in the dugout against the Santiago Bernebeu giants but the German would be backed to improve upon that number come Saturday with his side in high-flying form.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men, meanwhile, secured their final berth thanks to a memorable night on home turf against Manchester City with Brazilian winger Rodrygo scoring twice in the space of two minutes to force the game into extra time where talisman Karim Benzema’s penalty assured Real of a matchup against Liverpool.
WHEN & WHERE?
Paris is ready 👌#UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/wBiXgvzuVg
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) May 26, 2022
Date: Saturday 28 May 2022
Time: 8 PM GMT
Venue: Stade de France
TEAM NEWS
Liverpool would be sweating over the fitness of Thiago Alcantara after the Spain international limped off the Anfield pitch in the win over Wolves last Sunday.
The midfielder’s return to the XI would be the injury boost awaited by Klopp and his staff who welcomed back another recent absentee in Fabinho to training ahead of the match.
Fabinho was joined by the England international centre-back Joe Gomez following the latter’s brief spell out on the sidelines with an ankle issue.
Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah would be in line to earn recalls to the first XI for the Reds after starting the last game on the bench.
KEY BATTLE
Mohamed Salah vs Karim Benzema
Salah remains Liverpool’s ever-present figure in the attacking third of the pitch and the Egyptian would be gunning for revenge against Real after his injury-stricken night in Kyiv last time these two sides contested for the Champions League title.
For Real, it is the Frenchman Karim Benzema who has been the pivotal presence on the team sheet with his lethal form in front of the goal which would pose problems for the Virgil van Dijk-led Liverpool backline.
MATCH PREDICTION
It is a difficult match to call for in either side’s favour but we expect Liverpool to emerge the unlikely winners with the ‘underdogs’ tag hopefully easing them off the big-game pressure.
Liverpool 2-1 Real Madrid
