UEFA Champions League is probably the toughest competition in world football. All the top European clubs have their eyes set on the coveted trophy. Hence, the champions league final is nothing short of a spectacle and one of the most followed sporting events in a calendar year. When Liverpool take on Real Madrid on Sunday, May 27 (12.15 am IST) at Olympiyskiy National Sports Complex, Kiev it will be a treat to watch, for every football fan around the world.
With both the teams equally matched, it will be a battle of nerves on the big day.
Real Madrid is the most successful club in the champions league history, they have won the title 11 times so far. Come this Sunday, they will look to add on to their tally. Madrid has won the last two champions league, so they will be extra motivated to make it three in a row. Madrid didn’t fare well in recently concluded La Liga, finishing third on the table. But their performance in the champions league has been terrific. They defeated Italian giants Juventus in the quarter-final stage and then went on to beat Bayern Munich in the semis.
Cristiano Ronaldo is in terrific form, has scored the maximum number of goals so far in the competition,15 to be exact. Behind him is the Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah with 11 goals. Real Madrid fans will be hoping that Ronaldo will carry his good form in the final as well. But Real’s performance is not that great as compared to their previous seasons. This year they have struggled to put up consistent performance as a team collectively. That will be a concern for Zidane going into Sunday's final. In order to do well in the final, they need to defend well. In last few matches they have conceded few easy goals, and they cannot afford to repeat the same mistake against this Liverpool forward line.
Liverpool, on the other hand, will be quite confident to upset the favorites. Under Klopp, they have performed above their expectation so far in the season and will definitely like to win this trophy after 12 years. They won this prestigious title back in 2005 when they defeated AC Milan in the finals. Like Real, Liverpool also has a terrific forward line, that comprises of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Frimino, and Sadio Mane. Particularly Salah in the form of his life can turn any match on its head.
Real Madrid has the experience, pedigree, and mettle. They are favorites to win the title this year too. But they have to guard against complacency and must not take Liverpool lightly. This Liverpool side has the skills to upset any team in the world on their day.
Irrespective of the result, one thing is for sure that it will be a mouth-watering clash between these two fantastic clubs.
