As the champions league travels to its business end, two of the most passionate clubs will have a go at each other in the Champions League final in 2022. This will be a repeat of the 2018 Champions League finals in Kyiv, which Madrid won. The Los Blancos had won it 3-1. This will be the third time both these teams will lock horns in this iconic competition. The reds have a score to settle and one can hope for a nail-biting finish to the match. This post will contain Liverpool vs Real Madrid UEFA Champions League Final Predictions.
This mouth-watering clash will take place on 28th May. The venue of this epic clash is Stade de France which last hosted the finals of Euro 2017. The reds can boast of a very strong and competitive team before the game. But, judging by Los Blancos’s fate in this competition; the reds will not dare to put any foot wrong. Liverpool’s boss, Jurgen Klopp, has declared Madrid to be the ‘massive favourites’, going into this game. After the bitter experience of the previous champions league final, the Reds will play with all guns blazing to settle their scores. The veteran coach of Los Blancos had already defeated the reds in the 2007 Champions League final in Greece. It is still considered one of the best ‘revenge’ matches in the champions league. On the 28th, Ancelloti will look to repeat the feat once again.
Date, Time, and Where to watch the Champions League finals?
The Champions League final at the Stade de France is scheduled for 28th May 2022, 12:30 AM (IST). To watch the match live, Indian fans can tune into Sony tv networks, while for online streaming the best platform will be either Sony Liv or Jio TV.
Whereas for the British fans, the scheduled kick-off time is at 8 pm (GMT) on Wednesday, 28th May 2022. It will be televised live on BT Sport networks. People in America can watch the match on CBS networks or stream on Paramount+.
Line-Up Predictions:
Two of the biggest football giants are going to square off in the Champions League final in France. As such, there will be heavy preparation with the team lineups and players.
Liverpool:
- Liverpool will be sweating on the fitness of Roberto Firmino. The Brazillian striker picked up a foot injury during the finals of the FA Cup back in April. After a frustrating 4 weeks on the sidelines, the Brazilian is yet to start proper training with the team.
- Divock Origi who was ill for a short duration was also available in the semifinal clash against Villarreal.
- Other players to be on the list of recent injuries are Curtis Jones and Kostas Tsimikas. However, both of them have recovered fully and are ready to go all guns blazing in the champions league final.
Probable XI:
Robertson, Van Dijk, Konate, Alexander-Arnold, Alcantara, Fabinho, Keita/Henderson, Mane, Firminho, Salah.
Real Madrid:
- Unlike Liverpool, things are not that rosy for Los Blancos. Many players of real are either on the injury list or have a dry patch in their performance
- The first player who’s full recovery will be a key to success for real is David Alaba. The Austrian was not able to play the full 90 mins and had to be subbed during the semifinal.
- Along with David Alaba, Eder Militao has also some minor injury concerns. Although, the injury does not seem to be that precarious yet the physio will try to bring him to 100% fit.
- Eden Hazard, Gareth Bale & Luka Jovic are set to miss this iconic final due to injury.
- However, it is not the injury that Madrid is concerned with. It’s also the recent form of certain players, primarily the form of their ‘golden trio’ in midfield. The three of them- Kroos, Casemiro and Modric did not have a very good game at Bernabeu. Ancelloti will be closely monitoring their form as they might prove to be the difference in the finals.
Probable XI:
Courtois, Carvajal, Militao, Nacho/Alaba, F.Mendy, Casemiro, Kroos/Rodrygo, Valverde/Asensio, Modric, V.Junior, Benzema.
Players to watch out for:
Liverpool:
For the reds, the important man will be Sadio Mane. The Senegalese forward has been in sensational touch this year. He’s already tied with Didier Drogba as the most number of goals by an African in this tournament. He was even instrumental to score the opener for Liverpool back in 2018, but his team lost. Another player who will be excited about this clash is Mo Salah. The Egyptian king has a ‘score’ to settle with Real. On that occasion, Salah was injured and had to be substituted out. Jamie Carragher, a former Liverpool legend insists that the Egyptian winger will look for his “revenge” after what happened four years ago. Another player who might prove to be a catalyst for Liverpool is L.Diaz. The Columbian has been in sensational form after making a move from Porto. In the champions league final, he might show wonders given the form he is currently in.
Real Madrid:
For Madrid, all eyes will be on Karim Benzema who has been in impeccable form. The French striker has a ‘champion’ luck so far in this competition. He has managed to score in every match that Madrid has played. He scored the decider in the epic comeback of Madrid in the semifinals. Another force to reckon with is Rodrygo. The Brazilian single-handedly put his team into the title race when he headed 2 goals in the extra time. In the finals also the Brazilian will be tasked with the job of seeing his team through. Madrid has not only managed to score at an astonishing rate but they also have been able to save goals at crunch moments. This was due to the herculean effort of Thibaut Courtois in the goal. The Belgian goalkeeper has been termed ‘the octopus’ due to his efforts. In the finals as well, he will be required to make as many good saves as possible to keep the opponents at bay.
Champions League Scoreline:
When it’s the night of the champions, most of the predictions go wayward. Both the teams are in the form of their life. Madrid has always been a powerhouse in this competition while Liverpool’s recent growth in the UCL has been impressive. There will be not much difference in goals to separate these 2 teams. Hence, a scoreline of 1-0 or maybe 2-0 is possible.
Also Read: Manchester United vs Chelsea: Highlights, Scores and Much More
