Two titans of European football meet on Saturday in Paris for the Champions League title. Real Madrid have lifted the trophy a record 13 times, nearly double any other team. Liverpool have won the third-most with six titles, and with a win move into second all-time with A.C. Milan.
This match also provides another added layer of motivation for Liverpool star Mo Salah, as he’s out for revenge, given what Sergio Ramos did to him last time.
2018 vs 2022 Squad Comparisons
Attack Midfield Defense Goalkeeping
UEFA Champions League Final FYIs
TV/Streaming: CBS Sports’ coverage kicks off on Saturday, May 28 (1:30 PM, ET)
Broadcast live on the CBS Television Network and streaming live on Paramount+.
Liverpool-Real Madrid kicks off at 3:00 PM, ET.
Team News: Real Madrid Liverpool
Starting XI Predictions: Real Madrid Liverpool
After Extra Time Podcast: Apple Spotify
Result Probability: Real Madrid 29% Liverpool 45% Draw 26%
Odds: Real Madrid +230 Liverpool +115 Draw +260
Injury News
First off, in case you missed it, both Salah and Sadio Mane commented on their club futures today. Salah said he’ll be back next year while Mane was non-commital. Moving on, there are a couple major injuries for Liverpool to worry about heading into Saturday. Fabinho injured his hamstring on May 10, and he has missed the final three games of the regular season.
He trained on Wednesday, and barring any setbacks, will be ready for the final. Thiago is more of a question mark.
He injured his Achilles on Sunday against Wolves.
It was originally thought he would miss the final, but the news is getting better for Liverpool as the week goes on. He did some individual work on Wednesday, and is expected to train with the full squad Thursday.
“In the moment, it looks like he can be part of training (Thursday),” Klopp said.
“That would be pretty helpful obviously and then we go from there. It’s surprisingly good. After it happened, I was not really positive about it, but we got news that night it wasn’t as bad.”
Virgil van Dijk confirmed that he is ready to go after missing the last two matches of the year. Joe Gomez is also training after injuring his ankle against Southampton.
European History
This is the third time the two squads have met in the European Cup Final. In 1981, they met in the final in Paris, with Liverpool winning 1-0. They then met in the final in Kyiv in 2018, with Real Madrid winning 3-1.
The teams also met in last year’s quarterfinal, with Madrid winning the tie 3-1 after winning 3-1 at home and drawing 0-0 at Anfield. Overall, it is the ninth meeting between the two squads. Real Madrid have four wins, with Liverpool having three.
Klopp was full of praise for the Spanish side and their experience.
“Real are full of experience and know exactly how to approach a final, we felt that in 2018,” Klopp said. “That was a massive advantage to them that night. But since then we have gained a lot of experience in that, which is helpful.”
Also, you might want to hear Thierry Henry and Jamie Carragher wax lyrical about Luis Diaz, and you can do so at this link.