Liverpool faces Real Madrid in the Champions League final at Paris' Stade de France, with the English club seeking a historic treble while the Spanish side aims for a record 14th European Cup. The match, scheduled for 9:00pm (1900 GMT), will draw 80,000 spectators, marking the third meeting between the clubs since 1981.
Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, fresh from a Premier League runner-up finish, has already secured the League Cup and FA Cup this season. The Reds carry painful memories of their 2018 defeat to Real Madrid in Kyiv, when Mohamed Salah's injury and Loris Karius' errors cost them the title. Klopp emphasized the final's significance, stating, "You are judged by the colour of the medal after a game."
Real Madrid relies on Karim Benzema, who has scored 15 Champions League goals this season and 44 overall, making him a Ballon d’Or favorite. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin praised Benzema as "one of the best players in the world." Manager Carlo Ancelotti, seeking a fourth Champions League title, has won the competition three times previously: with AC Milan in 2003 and 2007, and with Real Madrid in 2014.
The final will be the third between the clubs, following their 1981 meeting in Paris where Liverpool triumphed. A Liverpool victory would equal AC Milan's European Cup record, while a Real win would extend their lead as the most successful club in the competition's history.
