The final:
It was a winding journey, full of dramas and upheavals, but at the end of the road - the Champions League remains with the two best teams, who will meet tomorrow in Paris for a final battle for the trophy.
This does not always happen.
Sometimes there are Cinderellas and surprises, but this time it turned out that the two strongest teams in the present, and also in the not-too-distant past, are the ones who survived the journey to the last game.
For Liverpool it will be a third final in five years, and for Real a chance to win a fifth in the last nine years.
On the one hand, the winner of the two local trophies in England, the City runners-up on the tip of a dot, and the one who played in every possible final that football has offered her this season.
On the other hand, the new Spanish champion and the one who ousted the European champions Chelsea, the PSG of Messi-Ambape-Neymar and the City of Pep in three comebacks, each of which alone is worth a series on Netflix.
Comes as a Big Star, Photo: AP
History:
These Blancos' victories further reinforced the club's myth and nickname "Kings of Europe".
Throughout this season, which initially had an embarrassing home loss to Sheriff Tiraspol, Real Madrid have mentioned what the Champions League means to them and how difficult it is to subdue it in this factory.
Following the big comebacks she made, the joke was born that in the Champions League it is forbidden to beat Real Madrid - because that's how they actually lose.
On Saturday Real could raise their winnings to 14 - twice as many as the next on the list.
This is an unprecedented dominance, one that ties the group's name to the factory.
On the other hand, Liverpool also has an extensive history in the Champions League.
Just this week the Reds marked 17 years since the Istanbul miracle against AC Milan, the team ahead of them on the list of winners.
On Saturday, Liverpool can reach seven European Cups and move up to second place in the factory's all-time table.
The players:
19 players from both teams were in Kiev in 2018, when Real defeated Liverpool 1: 3 in the final.
Apparently not much has changed, but in fact it has.
Loris Krios who made two huge mistakes is no longer here, to the delight of Liverpool, and so is Sergio Ramos, who injured Muhammad Salah after 30 minutes of play.
Gareth Bale then scored two goals - one more than he has scored all this season at Real, while Cristiano Ronaldo left at the end of the season for the old lady.
The tragic hero in the previous final between the teams, Photo: Twitter
Four years passed, and the heroes changed.
Muhammad Salah is fit and determined to take revenge on Real for the evening that disrupted his final and the start of the World Cup in Russia.
Karim Benzema, who then scored first courtesy of Krios, is today the biggest star in the world and the leading candidate for the Golden Ball.
Liverpool have Allison at the gate, Sadio Mane, Luis Diaz, Van Dyke and Trent Alexander-Arnold, while Real still have Lucca Modric, Casmiro and Tony Cross in midfield, but have been renewed by Vinicius Jr., Broadrigo and Eduardo Camavinga.
Salah, wants revenge, Photo: Getty
Coaches:
Jürgen Klopp does not talk about this final in terms of "revenge".
For him, the loss to Real Madrid in 2018 was a lesson, and on Saturday he must present the conclusions he drew and correct the mistakes.
This is the way that has guided the German since arriving at Liverpool seven years ago - always thinking about how to make the team better, and the feeling is that this year Liverpool have made another leap forward in their level.
"It will be a great story if we win, but it will not happen because of the events of 2018," Klopp stressed, "It will only happen if we know how to make the best decisions on the field."
Klopp in training concludes today, Photo: AP
In Ancelotti the degrees come more naturally.
To persuade him to return to Real Madrid, Florentino Perez gave him a tour of the trophy corridor, and the reflection of his face on the glittering money was enough for the Italian to respond in the affirmative.
Since then he has become the first coach to win a championship in the five major leagues of Europe, and tomorrow he will be able to raise his European balance to four titles in two different teams.
Ancelotti, Photo: AFP
The expectation:
In conclusion, it is difficult to ask for more from a football game.
There is tremendous quality here, past and present, a fresh past encounter that brings with it baggage, two great teams with tremendous players and two huge coaches with ambitions for as many titles as possible.
The 2022 Champions League final promises a lot, now he only has to keep it.
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