The Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis presents a fight between friends on the bench and duels between players who are among the best in the world in their demarcation and who will be decisive for the conquest of the title
Benzema vs. Van DJik
Benzema celebrates his goals in the Champions League.
It is one of the most attractive duels that can be seen in the present. Karim Benzema, the most lethal striker of the season, against one of the best defenders in the world. Few center-backs can improve Van Dijk’s virtues once he has overcome the serious knee injury that marked him last year.
The head of Liverpool’s defense will be aware of every movement of the Madrid offensive benchmark. A free meter is punished with a goal by a footballer who stars in the best moment of his career. He is the great leader of Real Madrid. His best ‘Champions’ of four wins at 34 years old. With fifteen goals in eleven games, ten of them in the knockout rounds, he is going through records that were only within the reach of Cristiano Ronaldo. If he scores, he will be the third top scorer in the competition and will surpass Raúl González to be the second in Real Madrid history.
The title chances of Carlo Ancelotti’s team go through the inspiration of Karim in a leadership of such dimension that, in case of success, it will bring him closer to his first Golden Ball.
(Don’t stop reading: ‘Dibu’ Martínez challenges Kylian Mbappé by ‘inviting’ him to play in Colombia).
Vinicius Jr. vs. Alexander-Arnold
Vinicius celebrates a goal with Real Madrid.
The speed, the offensive nerve, the quality of two youngsters who are key figures in their teams. The year of the jump that was demanded of Vinicius Junior in the definition. With 21 goals and 20 assists, three goals and six goal assists in a Champions League where he always appeared except in the two Real Madrid collective blackouts: against the Sheriff at the Bernabéu and PSG in Paris. Vinicius is one of Real Madrid’s great offensive threats, with Carlo Ancelotti’s clear goal of seeking the back of Alexander-Arnold, a right-back with a clear offensive vocation. He is one more weapon in Klopp’s offensive gear, with a glove on his right foot on center, as the 19 assists he dished out this season show. He will force ‘Vini’ to make defensive efforts so as not to leave Ferland Mendy inferior in the defensive phase.
Courtois vs. Salah
Guajiro Luis Díaz with Salah, in one of the goal celebrations.
There is no goalkeeper with greater importance in the games of this Champions League than the Belgian Thibuat Courtois with 4.34 stops per game. Some were so decisive in moments of Madrid weakness in the knockout rounds that they gave way to epic comebacks. The thorn stuck in him at 22 years old, the ‘Champions’ that Real Madrid snatched from his hands in Lisbon, can be removed eight years later. One step away from fulfilling his great dream but a handful of threats that will put him at risk.
Liverpool, with 30 goals, will be the highest scoring team in this Champions League. And his great reference, with eight goals, is Mohammed Salah. For few, the reunion with Real Madrid is as special as it is for the Egyptian striker. Left out of the kyiv final four years ago after a dispute with Sergio Ramos damaged his shoulder and changed the course of the match. Since then he has been waiting for this moment to claim his sporting revenge on the pitch.
(Don’t stop reading: Luis Díaz shows that English is not a problem: that’s how he ‘speaks’ in Liverpool).
Casemiro vs. fabinho
Casemiro celebrates goal with Real Madrid.
It is the duel of the ‘guardian angels’ of each team. No replacement at Real Madrid for the figure of Casemiro, which sparks interest in Aurélien Tchouaméni. The Brazilian is in charge of providing balance, plugging holes, covering, starting plays with quality. A transcendental footballer in recent Madrid history with four Champions Leagues won in five years. He will be accompanied in the effort by the physical Fede Valverde, Ancelotti’s bet to put a stop to Liverpool’s verticality. Fabinho arrives just in time for the grand finale. Converted into a defensive midfielder after leaving the band, he will assume much of the defensive responsibility of a Liverpool with an attacking stamp. The daring of the full-backs always finds the vision in the coverage of Fabinho, who has plenty of physique but with doubts about his condition for such an intense duel.
Ancelotti vs. Klopp
Carlo Ancelotti and Jurgen Klopp
They are good friends and know each other perfectly. The cards are on the table, they have little to hide in terms of headline names and tactical ideas in defined approaches. Klopp with a lethal trident, Ancelotti readjusting his initial idea for Real Madrid by adding the figure of Fede Valverde as a fourth midfielder in duels of greatness to increase the consistency of an aged midfield. Ancelotti makes an appointment with history, with the possibility of being the first coach to win four ‘Champions’. For Klopp it would be the second, representative of a batch of German coaches who have dominated recent football with courage, high pressure and intensity in their teams.
‘Carletto’ will be eternally hurt by the final loss against Liverpool after enjoying a three-goal advantage. He already had revenge. Klopp was only able to overcome a tie against Real Madrid, in charge of Borussia Dortmund. He was eliminated once by Ancelotti and also by Zidane, with whom he lost four years ago in the kyiv final.
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EFE
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