Two of the most historic European clubs meet on soccer’s largest domestic stage for its grandest prize in the UEFA Champions League Final this weekend.
Real Madrid is the benchmark when it comes to continental success in Europe. They own 13 Champions League titles dating back to 1956 while this year will be their 17th appearance in the final.
As for Liverpool, a win would catapult the English giants into a tie for second place with AC Milan with seven titles to their name.
Liverpool ended its sizable Champions League title drought just three years ago, winning their first European title since 2005 and that memorable comeback against Milan.
As for Madrid, this is the eighth time since 2000 that they are in the final, having won it in 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018.
Such pedigree and history not only has carried into 2022, but both sides have been at the top of their respective countries for most of the season.
The Reds finished just short of the Premier League title on a memorable final day which saw Manchester City lift the trophy.
However, this season has already resulted in a League Cup and FA Cup crown with an opportunity to pull off a treble.
For Los Blancos, they are the winners of La Liga — and have an opportunity to secure their place atop a budding rivalry in Europe.
These two sides met in the 2017-18 Champions League Final with Madrid winning 3-1 in a controversial and blunder-filled match.
Former Liverpool keeper Loris Karius made two enormous mistakes while star striker Mohamed Salah was subbed off in the first half after he was injured by former Madrid man, Sergio Ramos.
In total, 19 players from both sides remain on these two teams heading into Saturday.
For Madrid, this will be an opportunity to remind the world that they are still the preeminent side and No. 1 overall destination to be for the world’s top talent.
There is still an obvious sting from being rejected by PSG star Kylian Mbappe, who had been linked with the club for years.
He was supposed to be the heir apparent for a team that had lost Cristiano Ronaldo and sees two of its biggest stars in Ballon d’Or favorite Karim Benzema and world-class midfielder Luka Modric well into their 30s.
That dynamic duo will try to outplay Liverpool’s fearsome African pair of Egypt’s Salah and Senegal’s Sadio Mane, who have continued leading the Reds to new heights with a long-awaited Premier League title in 2020 to go with a Champions League and Club World Cup crown in 2019.
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