Saturday night sees the showpiece event of European club football take place in Paris, when Liverpool and Real Madrid meet in the final of the 2022 Champions League.
There may be some who were hoping for an all English final, and I dare say plenty who were not. But in Liverpool and Madrid, we do have two good sides, and two contrasting styles that hopefully makes for an entertaining final.
- Match; 2021/22 Champions League Final – Liverpool v Real Madrid
- Where; Stade de France, Saint-Denis, Paris, France
- When; Saturday 28th May, 2022
- Time; 8pm GMT | 9pm CET
Is Real Madrid’s Name Already on the Champions League Trophy?
So, are Real Madrid lucky? Or are they just incredibly resilient and don’t know when they’re beaten?
I think it’s a bit of both. They could have easily lost to PSG, Chelsea and Manchester City. But, all three failed to deliver the fatal blow to Los Blancos when they had the chance.
The trio all left the door slightly ajar, and on all three occasions, Real Madrid took advantage and came through it. In fact, on some occasions they kicked the door down.
In Karim Benzema, Real Madrid have probably the most lethal finisher in Europe playing for them. The revitalised Frenchman is playing his football on a different level this season.
Supporting Benzema are exciting talents, Vinícius Jr and Rodrygo. Both players who – on their day – can take anybody apart; as Manchester City found out to their cost!
What Madrid also seem to have mastered is the ability to hang in there when things are going against them. They’ve had to do that against PSG, Chelsea and Manchester City.
Then, once their moment arrives, they’ve produced scintillating periods of football for 20 to 30 minutes that have just blown their opponents away. Liverpool, beware!
2022 Champions League Final; Liverpool v Real Madrid Match Betting
90 Minutes Betting
- Liverpool – Evs
- The Draw – 13/5
- Real Madrid – 13/5
To Lift The Trophy Betting
- Liverpool – 1/2
- Real Madrid – 6/4
If Liverpool Turn Up, Madrid Can’t Stop Them
Looking at the odds, the bookmakers certainly seem to think Liverpool’s superiority will take precedence over Madrid’s hot flashes of play. And I have to say, I agree.
Liverpool has been a machine this year, and if they turn up and play, I don’t see Madrid having the tools to stop them.
As any football fan knows, football doesn’t work that way though, and Liverpool haven’t looked as fluid in recent weeks.
Of the two teams, the Reds have had by far the harder past three to four weeks. Liverpool have been fighting on three fronts, with the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League, while Madrid have coasted to their domestic league title.
So have Klopp’s men got one more monumental effort in them this season?
Well, one man that has shown no signs of easing off or suffering from fatigue in recent weeks is Sadio Mane. He has been immense for Liverpool in these past few weeks, and I’m expecting him to come to the party on Saturday night.
Mane is the man for the big occasion. Okay, we’ll forgive him for his penalty miss at the FA Cup Final, but I think you know what I mean. Just ask his Egyptian teammate if he thinks Mane isn’t the man for the big occasion.
For a betting tip, I like the look of Mane to score anytime at 17/10. As this is a cup final, he would need to score in the regular 90 minutes for the bet to win. In other words, extra-time and penalty shoot outs don’t count for this bet.
I’m also expecting Liverpool to win this. There are reasons why Madrid can win, which I’ve covered above. But when it comes down to a straight choice between who is the better team, I believe there is only one winner, and that’s Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool team.