sport news Trent Alexander-Arnold's battle with Vinicius Jr could decide the 2021/22 ... trends now
Liverpool and Real Madrid meet once again in tonight’s final and it is a classic match-up.
With the two sides knowing each other well from their previous encounter in the 2017/18 Champions League final, and their meeting last season, the fixture promises to be an exciting affair.
Here, Sportsmail looks at the key issues and decisive battles that will decide the contest at the Stade de France.
Liverpool and Real Madrid will meet in the Champions League final on Saturday night
Real Madrid have not played a competitive match of significance for three and a half weeks. Liverpool have been foot to the floor in pursuit of four trophies. Real clinched La Liga with a 4-0 win over Espanyol on April 30. They then beat Manchester City in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final a few days later.
Carlo Ancelotti has been using his stars in dead rubbers since then but it remains to be seen whether they can get their competitive juices flowing again against a Liverpool team who have been at full tilt in every game.
Liverpool left back Andy Robertson said yesterday: ‘They have had a relaxed preparation and have been able to play at a lesser tempo. We wanted to fight for everything and it’s been hard on our bodies but we are in the best shape.’
Real Madrid could have an advantage over Liverpool having rested in recent weeks
Without doubt, Salah remains Liverpool’s most dangerous player. Despite the contributions of Luis Diaz, Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota this season, the Egyptian is the forward in the Liverpool ranks who Real will worry about the most.
Having left the field injured in the 2018 loss to Real, Salah scored an early penalty against Spurs a year later. But he was not able to hit his peak in either game and comes into this one short of form.
Watching Salah come on as a substitute last Sunday against Wolves was to see a snapshot of his recent issues. For once in his career, Salah seems to lack a little confidence. But he still managed to score…
Of all the problems Real caused City in their incredible semi-final, nobody presented more than winger Vinicius Jnr. Only 21, the Brazilian is raw but his speed and directness make him a dangerous weapon.
Tonight the marking job falls to Trent
