La Liga giants Real Madrid are targeting a record 14th UEFA champions league title when they face Liverpool in Paris on Saturday.
Real Madrid had a tough way to the UEFA Champions League final this season, having had to comeback against PSG to win 3-2 on aggregate in the round of sixteen.
The Los Blancos had to endure a scare in the quarter-finals after losing 3-2 to Chelsea after extra time in the second leg of their quarter-final clash. A 3-1 win at the Stamford Bridge had helped the La Liga Champions move to the semi-final.
A bigger obstacle appeared in Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, who got a 4-3 win at Etihad Stadium only to capitulate in the final minutes of the second leg at Santiago Bernabeu when Brazilian Rodrigo scored twice in the final minutes of the game to force extra time where Karim Benzema scored the winner.
The French striker is the competition’s top scorer with 15 goals and two assists. Manager Carlo Ancelotti will hope that the forward will help the Los Blancos to make a double after winning the La Liga.
Their Saturday opponents wouldn’t come easy as they meet again in the UEFA Champions League final after their 2018 final, which Real Madrid won 3-1.
Led by Jurgen Klopp once again, Liverpool will hope to make a treble this time after FA Cup, and Carabao Cup wins domestically and ultimately take revenge for their 2018 defeat.
Real Madrid has now made seventeen UEFA Champions League finals, winning 13 and losing, but their last final loss was in 1981.
Already Carlo Ancelotti has named his list for the trip to Paris and has included Welsh forward Gareth Bale, who has been on the periphery for the team this term.
There is no notable absentee from the squad from Real Madrid for the Saturday final.
Written by: Daniel Ademiju Idowu