Liverpool vs Real Madrid

Liverpool and Real Madrid will clash this Saturday for European supremacy in the UEFA Champions League final. The stage will be the Stade de France at 2:00 pm, Central Mexican time, and millions of fans will experience one of the most anticipated matches in the world.

The Reds are going for history to win their seventh ‘Orejona’ and the second under Jurgen Klopp, who has already marked a golden era for the Anfield club. Meanwhile, Los Merengues are aiming for their fourteenth title and thus continue as the ‘King of Europe’.

How do Liverpool play?
Klopp rarely deviates from his tried and tested 4-3-3 formation, a system that has served the ‘Reds’ wonderfully well since the German’s arrival in 2015. His high-intensity pressing has been refined in recent seasons, with a little help from additions such as Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz, but it is no less effective. At their best, they are arguably the best team in Europe.

Who is Liverpool’s key player?
Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian striker has been the face of this Liverpool since he arrived from Roma in 2017. A star at Basel, he first landed in England with Chelsea in 2014, but has proven to be a great talent on Merseyside, his pace, intelligence and finishing helped him score 33 Champions League goals for the club.

Who is Liverpool’s manager?
Jürgen Klopp. Liverpool manager since 2015, Klopp guided the ‘reds to win the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League and their first league title in 30 years the following season. The striker-turned-defender at Mainz lifted two Bundesliga titles with Dortmund before arriving at Anfield.

How many Champions League (or European Cup) titles does he have?
European Cup winner: 1976/77, 1977/78, 1980/81, 1983/84, 2004/05, 2018/19

How does Real Madrid play?
With a 4-3-3 formation, Madrid has a solid backbone that starts with Thibaut Courtois and goes through center-back Éder Militão to the experienced midfield trio of Casemiro, Modrić and Kroos, with all their technical quality, vision and experience. And then comes the in-form Benzema up front, a master of the arts of the center forward game. They also have the energy of increasingly influential young players, such as Vinícius Júnior and Valverde, as well as that intangible know-how that gets them out of trouble.

Who is Real Madrid’s key player?
Karim Benzema. Many wondered where Real Madrid’s goals would come from when Cristiano Ronaldo left in 2018, but the French striker has gone one step closer to becoming the club’s talisman. He scored Madrid’s 1,000th goal in the European Cup against Shakhtar earlier this season, then turned the round of 16 tie against Paris with a second-half ‘hat-trick’ before delivering the decisive blow in extra time against the ‘blues’. He scored two more against City in the first leg, one with a Panenka-like penalty. And in the second leg, also from the penalty spot, he sealed Real Madrid’s place in the final.

Who is Real Madrid’s coach?
Carlo Ancelotti. The coach who led Madrid to ‘La Décima’ in 2014 returned last summer for a second spell in charge. He is one of three coaches to have won the European Cup and Champions League three times.

How many Champions League (or European Cup) titles does he have?
European Cup champion1955/56, 1956/57, 1957/58, 1958/59, 1959/60, 1965/66, 1997/98, 1999/2000, 2001/02, 2013/14, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18.