It is the most precious and memorable prize for club football all over the globe. This year’s UEFA Champions League is going to be held on May 26 at the Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex, Kiev, Ukraine. English side Liverpool take on the mighty Spanish side of Real Madrid.

Real Madrid got the better of Bayern Munich, the current Bundesliga Champions, in the Semi-final to set a date with Liverpool at Kiev. Madrid, winner of this championship a record 12 times and the current defending champions will look to add another feather to their already rich history of winning multiple championships.

They have already won this championship thrice in the last 4 years. As many are saying, this might be the last year at this club for their goal-scoring machine, Cristiano Ronaldo. Thus, he along with all his team mates will surely try their best to make this year memorable for their fans. This year, Madrid has failed miserably to truly challenge Barcelona for the La Liga title, there would be pressure on their Manager, Zinedine Zidane, to deliver a prominent silverware for the club, as the club’s fans would not accept anything less than a golden finish.

On the other side of the story, Liverpool, winners of this championship last in 2005 have put themselves back into the spotlight and have been a rejuvenated side under Manager Jurgen Klopp. This year, they have showcased some of the most fascinating performances against recently crowned Premier League Champions Manchester City in the quarterfinals before edging past the Italian side of Roma in a 13 goal thriller to enter the finals back after 13 years.

As the head-to-head record goes, the Reds currently hold a 3-2 advantage but lost both their two most recent clashes when the two sides met four seasons ago.

Both Real Madrid and Liverpool are known for their attacking prowess. Thus, it can be said with high probability that a clean sheet for either of the 2 goalkeepers will not be a possibility in the final.

Liverpool, has had a goal-scoring spree this season, scoring a record setting 46 goals in the Champions League this season. All thanks to its golden trio of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino. On their day, they can destroy any defence with their exhilarating attack. With Madrid’s defence not being among the best in the business, Salah, who blasted 32 goals in 38 Premier League games could have a night to cherish all his life.

However, given Real Madrid’s recent performance in this competition, and how they play under pressure especially Cristiano Ronaldo and their hunger to win, there would be no denying of the fact that Liverpool are still underdogs in this match. But, if the unexpected happens, the Reds will march ahead of both Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the record books by winning their sixth title.

Defence is a concern for both the sides as they have struggled to keep the ball away from their own goal, even though they both have done exceptionally well in the attacking department.

Liverpool have lost just one game in the Champions League, coming in their most recent visit to Roma, 4-2. Before that, they had blown away both FC Porto and Manchester City. But, defensive errors have always been a concern for the side this season.

The semi-final against Roma is the perfect example for this. They had raced to 5-0 lead thanks to the sheer brilliance of Mo Salah at Anfield. But, they allowed the Italians to score two late goals to give Roma a slight probability of making it through to the final. And, in the return leg in Roma, they did score twice only to concede four more to qualify to the final via a single goal.

Liverpool attacking bravery and ferocity might be the perfect response to Real’s offensive squad of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema. Real will look for a victory to make up for a disappointing domestic season for the Spanish side and its Manager.

Thus, all in all, the match this Saturday promises to be a close affair with two of the biggest clubs in world football face-offing against each other, in addition to having 2 sets of players who love to play physical, attacking football.

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