It’s time for the Final of the Champions League 2017/2018, which will decide which of these two teams, will lift the trophy – Real Madrid or Liverpool. If Los Blancos manage to do it, they’ll make history as the only team that’s managed to win the competition three times in a row. They definitely have the experience in winning big games, but attacking-minded Liverpool won’t give up without a fight. As always in the case of Champions League Finals, we’re guaranteed to watch an entertaining game, so check out our Real Madrid vs. Liverpool Match Preview & Betting Tips.
Real Madrid
After finishing La Liga season at the third place and getting knocked out Copa Del Rey by Leganes in quarterfinals, Real Madrid are looking to salvage the season by winning the Champions League. They’re obviously the favorites here, not only because of the experience in big tournaments but also because of the player quality.
Obviously, their most important player is Cristiano Ronaldo. Although already a 33-year-old, Ronaldo has no plans of stepping out anytime soon. According to the man himself, his body and mind are in such shape that he could stay in football for another 6-7 years.
Speaking of Ronaldo, he’s the top scorer in the Champions League with 15 goals so far. I say “so far”, because CR7 is very likely to score in the big Final. He’s been in a great form lately, scoring seven goals in the previous eight games he played for Real. Funny enough, he failed to score a single goal in the semifinal against Bayern, a doubleheader that his team won with a total goal difference of 4:3.
That said, Real is obviously not a one-man team. They have plenty of other top-quality players in all parts of the pitch. In fact, Los Blancos have so many great players that it’s pointless to mention every single one of them by name. You just have to scroll down a bit and check out Real’s probable lineup to see how strong this team is.
Still, there’s one player that’s probably gonna be in the spotlight in the Final. It’s Marcelo, a left back, who’s been sensational for years. The reason why I’m talking about Marcelo is that he covers the same part of the pitch as Mohamed Salah, Liverpool’s most lethal player. Marcelo’s job will be to stop him, but can he actually do it?
Liverpool
Mo Salah is the player Liverpool fans are putting their hopes in. This isn’t a surprise considering that he’s scored 32 goals this season. That’s more than Ronaldo, for example. He’s also been great in the Champions League, putting 11 goals so far, just four fewer than the great CR7.
Salah might be the main man on the pitch, but the man without whom they’d probably never got this far is their manager, Jurgen Klopp. The fact is that he’s changed the complete team mentality since he’s arrived, turning Liverpool in a goal-scoring machine. The Reds seem like a team that can score against any opponent, including Real Madrid.
The biggest problem with this approach is that they’re not very good at match management. They can score a few goals, surely, but keeping that result till the final whistle has been their biggest problem this whole season. Just remember the match with Roma, in which they had a 5:0 lead until the 81st minute, but then allowed two goals.
Hopefully, for their fans, Klopp will manage to find a solution to this problem. Speaking of Klopp, he also has experience with the Champions League Finals. When he was in charge of Borussia Dortmund, his team lost the Final to Bayern Munich. The score was 2:1 Bayern, with Robben scoring the winner just one minute before the end of the 90 minutes.
Team News
Real Madrid absentees:
- None
Liverpool absentees:
- Joe Gomez (injury)
- Joel Matip (injury)
- Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (injury)
- Emre Can (doubtful)
Possible Lineups
Real Madrid:
Navas – Ramos, Varane, Carvajal, Marcelo – Casemiro, Modric, Kroos, Asensio – Benzema, Ronaldo
Liverpool:
Karius – Van Dijk, Lovren, Alexander-Arnold, Robertson – Henderson, Milner, Wijnaldum – Salah, Mane, Firmino
Real Madrid vs. Liverpool Match Prediction
We’re guaranteed to see a lot of excitement in the Grand Final. What this means is that it’s fair to expect goals on both ends. A lot of them. But, what about the Champions League winner? Well, I think Real Madrid are a much better team and will eventually get to lift the trophy, although they will have to work hard for it.
Real Madrid vs. Liverpool Betting Tips
- Real Madrid @2.20 (bet365)
- Real Madrid to Lift the Trophy @1.65 (Unibet)
- BTS @1.44 (William Hill)
- Over 3.5 Goals @2.10 (bet365)