It is safe to say that the Champions League final is the most important game in European club football. On Saturday, Real Madrid will face Liverpool in their repeat of the famous 2018 final. Back then, Sergio Ramos injured Mohamed Salah and many people think that was one of the main reasons Liverpool lost that game. Sergio Ramos doesn’t play for Real Madrid anymore, but Salah will seek his revenge. Who will win the Champions League final? That is the question most football enthusiasts have today. That is a complicated question, but here is what we think.
There Are No Favorites In The Final
Most football experts will say that there are no favourites in the final. That is the case with any final and, of course, the Champions League final. Clubs who have made it to the final definitely deserve to win the title. Real Madrid and Liverpool showed the most during this season and they deserve the European glory. That is why we won’t say specifically who will win. If you are interested in odds, check here and see what bookmakers think. Today, we will do something else. We will discuss the strengths of both clubs and that may help you know who the favourite is. Here are the strengths of the two clubs.
Real Madrid Strengths
Carlo Ancelotti
What can we say about this man that hasn’t already been said? Here is something you may not know. Carlo Ancelotti is the only manager in the history of football who managed to win all of the best five European leagues. That definitely makes him one of the best ever. He knows how to win titles with Real Madrid and having him on the sidelines will definitely calm Real Madrid players.
Karim Benzema
The stunning Frenchman has scored 15 goals in this season of the Champions League. That is a wonderful achievement. But Benzema was always a good player. However, back in the day when Ronaldo played for Real Madrid, Benzema was in his shadow. There were situations where Benzema could have scored but chose to assist Ronaldo. He is now the main option in the Real Madrid attack and he is definitely comfortable with that. He is deadly in front of the goal and Virgil van Dijk and the rest of the Liverpool defence will have a complicated task on Saturday, for sure.
Vinicius Junior
People say Benzema is the best Real Madrid player of the season and that is true, but if Benzema is the best, Vinicius is the second best. If Vinicius didn’t score 17 goals and made 10 assists this season, who knows if the club from Madrid would win the domestic title. Vinicius also had a wonderful season in the Champions League. He scored only 3 goals, but he scored them in big games. He will definitely be a threat to the Liverpool defence.
Liverpool Strengths
Jurgen Klopp
If we put Carlo Ancelotti on this list, it would be only fair to discuss Jurgen Klopp and his talents. Sure, Klopp doesn’t have as much experience as Ancelotti when it comes to European club football, but he is one of the best managers in the world. He is officially the best manager in the Premier League this season. One of the things that make Klopp great is that he plays brave football. He will most certainly attack Real Madrid in the final. But, unlike Pep, he will know how to close the game if Liverpool scores the first goal. Watching the battle between Ancelotti and Klopp will definitely be a delight.
Mohamed Salah
Many people say that he is not the man for big games, but that is simply not true. Sure, maybe he doesn’t always score in big games, but his presence on the pitch makes other people play better. He creates chances for other players, like Sadio Mane, for example. You should also consider the fact that this final is personal for Salah. He had to leave the pitch in tears back in 2018 and he is now fit to play the game. Also, there is no Sergio Ramos to injure him in this final. Salah will try to win his second Champions League with Liverpool and after the season he’s had in Premier League, it would not be a surprise if he was the man of the hour. He will definitely be one of the most important players on the pitch.
Sadio Mane
We are aware that we only discussed attacking players today, but that is because Real Madrid and Liverpool play attacking football. When it comes to Sadio Mane, it is safe to say that the Senegal player had a wonderful season for both club and country. He scored 16 goals in the Premier League this season and he was one of the best Liverpool players. In the Champions League, Mane scored 5 goals. But, maybe his biggest success this season was when he won the African Cup of Nations with Senegal. He has a winning mentality and knows how to play big games. A lot of people think that he may be the man of the match, especially when it comes to goals. The Real Madrid defence will search for ways to prevent Salah from scoring which will force Mane to sneak past the defence and score. Mane is the only Liverpool player who has a chance to win four titles this year. He won two cups with Liverpool and one with Senegal. If he manages to win the Champions League on Saturday, that will be the best season of his career.
The Final Word
Real Madrid and Liverpool are similar clubs. They love playing attacking football, but they also know how to defend. Both clubs have wonderful players, but it seems that the main battle will be the one between Carlo Ancelotti and Jurgen Klopp. If you are a football enthusiast, you must be in front of your TV screen on Saturday.