Two of Europe’s Most Successful Clubs Get Ready to Battle for Champions League Glory

Posted on | May 15, 2018 | No Comments

European football’s night of nights is upon us once again as we get ready to watch Liverpool and Real Madrid battle it out in the Champions League final. It promises to be a spectacular event with both teams having an extremely successful history in the competition. The match will be played in Kiev, Ukraine, at the NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium in front of a fully packed house of 70,000 fans.

Real have won the tournament a record 12 times and are the reigning champs after defeating Italian side Juventus 4-1 in Cardiff last year. It was the first time a club had won consecutive titles and their third Champions League title in four years.

Liverpool also have a rich history in the league, having won five titles with the last being back in 2005 against AC Milan. The Reds came back from a 3-0 deficit at half-time to stun the Italian giants and push the game to penalties. Some superb goalkeeping from Jerzy Dudek and a cool head from Liverpool’s penalty takers ensured that the coveted trophy returned back to Anfield once again.

This year’s final is expected to be a high scoring affair with Liverpool being the competition’s highest-scoring side with 40, and Madrid in second on 30. The Spanish giants will go into the match as favourites at 6/5 though, with the Reds currently 21/10 according to this link at William Hill’s betting website.

The tournament’s all-time leading goal scorer, Cristiano Ronaldo, is the bookmakers’ choice to draw first blood at 3/1, and will be a major attacking threat for Real having scored 15 goals already in the competition. The Portuguese superstar is not only magnificent during normal play, but has one of the most lethal boots in world football when it comes to free kicks. The key for the English side will be to shut Ronaldo out of the game as much as possible, forcing Madrid to use their other attacking options instead.

Liverpool however, have a much more even spread when it comes to their key forwards, with the fantastic trio of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane tearing apart team’s defences on their way to the final. Salah and Firmino lead the way for the English side with an impressive ten goals apiece, with Mane right behind them scoring nine.

Although Liverpool are the underdogs heading into the match, the ability to score goals from a range of different positions is sure to cause a few headaches for the Madrid defence. Their midfield has also played a large part in the journey to Kiev, with James Milner leading the competition for assists with nine.

Stopping Ronaldo is the key if the Reds have any chance of lifting the trophy and it looks like they may have had some help from Liverpool’s football gods. Cristiano picked up an ankle injury in the recent 2-2 Classico draw against fierce rivals Barcelona, and some football experts think it may be more serious than the club is letting on. Madrid will feel that they have to start him but it could prove costly if he aggravates the injury and needs to be substituted. It would surely open the game wide open and Liverpool’s offensive style could see the momentum shift the English side’s way.

Will the Spanish side continue its dominance in Europe or are the glory days about to return to Anfield? In a few short weeks, we will have the answer to the question on every football fan’s lips. It’s going to be a sensational night of football as spectators from all over the world tune in to see who will be crowned the champions of Europe.

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