by Albert Wambura,
Real Madrid versus Liverpool promises to be a thriller. The two teams have had a season to remember, and have won trophies by playing stylish football.
Jurgen Klopp knows he has a talented band of players on his hands, loyal and willing to follow him on the journey to continental domination.
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| Ballon d’Or hopefuls Salah, Benzema and Mane |
Carlo Ancelotti will be looking to add yet more decorations
to his cabinet of glory tomorrow. The old hand has seen many a player come and go,
and he can be trusted to guide his team of stars to only their 14th
Champions League trophy in their storied history.
However, there is more cooking under the
surface. These two have only met 10 times before, hardly enough matchups to come up with a more accurate prediction. Despite this, when they’ve met, there has been
little to separate them. Perhaps that speaks to the quality of their coaching
methods.
Most memorably Ancelotti led Everton to a 2-0 win at Anfield (this being
a feat of epic propositions historically) in a Premier League fixture in
February of 2021. Carlo definitely knows how to provide a tricky challenge for
Klopp.
Ballon d’Or hopefuls Benzema, Salah and Mane shall also be
deep in the mix. This adds to the game’s intrigue and surely yet another reason
to follow every change in line-up and team news.
Benzema has been the hero in
the city of Madrid this season, with the word ‘evergreen’ coming to mind when
describing him.
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| The clash of giants happens tomorrow night at 10 |
He’s carried the team on his mighty shoulders, and tomorrow is
expected to be the last word on his performance. Couple his efforts with the
excellence of the team around him and you have a formula worthy of the
Champions League stage.
Salah and Mane have been praised by many and for good
reason. The Egyptian has topped both the assist records and goal charts,
despite some people (even fans) have failed to be charmed by his performances,
citing previous seasons where he simply wrote his name in the history books
using his left foot.
Nevertheless any football fan would be hard-pressed to suggest
any players who’ve shone more than him this season. Mane is a champion with his
home nation, with an AFCON trophy on his resume now.
The Senegalese attacker scored
Liverpool’s only goal last time they met in the final, so it will be
interesting to see how he fares against a Real Madrid team that has largely been
conserved.
Clearly quality shall be on show tomorrow night at the Stade
de France, 10PM EAT. Legendary coaches fighting to be included in the
pantheon of greatness is the privilege Champions League football has afforded
us the fans.
