1
21:37
Kick-off in Saint Denis. The Reds are dressed all in red. The Madrilenians are dressed all in white. The ball rolls.
21:33
Good news from the Stade de France: the starting line-ups – the Thiago in question is included, by the way, while Keïta remains on the bench – are on the pitch and the Champions League anthem is playing. In a few moments, the grand finale will finally start.
21:19
Both teams return to the catacombs and UEFA officials adjust the kick-off time again. At 9:36 p.m. it should really start.
21:13
Now the Madrilenians are coming onto the pitch again. Both teams are visibly unhappy with the half-hour delay and somehow have to anticipate the new circumstances with a relaxed warm-up. It remains to be hoped that the renewed delay will be over and that the grand finale can really start at 9:30 p.m.
21:10
Again, UEFA reports, which again shifts the kick-off time by a quarter of an hour. Insanity! Rumor has it that 40,000 Liverpool fans have flocked to France, some of whom have tried to get into the Stade de France without a ticket. What is true of the rumors cannot be confirmed. But the fact is that there is real chaos in the entrance area – this is underlined by numerous social media posts. Some LFC fans are still standing in front of the Stade de France and are waiting to be admitted. UEFA also seems to be postponing the kick-off again so that there is no panic and the situation gets out of control.
21:08
The Reds come on the field and Thiago looks like he’s playing. Furthermore, no official change to the starting lineup has been communicated, although both Klopp and Thiago spoke very intensively with Keïta.
20:49
Meanwhile, the official announcement comes from UEFA that the kick-off will be postponed by a quarter of an hour. Too many spectators are still standing in front of the Stade de France, waiting to be admitted. The Champions League final begins at 9:15 p.m.
20:47
Does Jürgen Klopp have to make adjustments before kick-off? Thiago limped off the pitch while warming up, after which the coach spoke to Naby Keïta for a long time on the pitch. However, no change in the starting eleven has yet been communicated and Thiago has also reappeared in the meantime and continued to warm up.
20:36
Real Madrid could win the 14th handle pot in the club’s history today and further expand their status as record winners. For the Reds it would mean the seventh overall victory in the most important European competition. That would see the Merseyside club level with AC Milan in the all-time leaderboard and second behind today’s opponents.
20:31
By the way, the record between the two clubs speaks for Real Madrid. Los Blancos have won four of their previous eight competitive games against Liverpool (draw one, lose three). Even more impressive is the Spanish win rate in international finals. The Madrilenians have won all of their last seven European Cup finals without exception.
20:26
Karim Benzema in particular shone at Real Madrid in the knockout stages with a steady stream of goals. The Frenchman has already scored 15 goals in the current Champions League season. So far only Cristiano Ronaldo (17 goals in 2013/14) has been more successful. Of course, Carlo Ancelotti is still building his team around the French goal-getter. Compared to the dismal 0-0 draw against Real Betis from last matchday in LaLiga, there are two changes in total: Alaba and Valverde replace Nacho and Rodrygo (both on the bench).
20:21
New Spanish champions Real Madrid lost four games en route to the final, conceding 11 goals in just six games in the knockout stages alone. With Paris Saint-Germain, last year’s winners Chelsea and Manchester City, the Galactics also had to deal with three absolute heavyweights. The games with PSG are particularly memorable, when a 0-1 defeat in Paris was turned 3-1 despite a deficit in the second leg, before the Merengues finally eliminated the Blues and the Citizens in thrilling duels in extra time.
20:16
Last weekend, the Reds turned a 1-0 deficit against Wolverhampton into a 3-1 win in the championship showdown, which, however, was no longer enough for the title due to City’s comeback against Aston Villa. Jürgen Klopp made three changes to his first eleven today: Fabinho, van Dijk and Salah are preferred to Keïta, Diogo Jota and Matip (all three benches).
20:11
Liverpool have already won both cup competitions in England this season. In the Premier League, however, the Reds missed out on the championship by a point behind Manchester City. In recent months, however, hardly anything has burned in Jürgen Klopp’s squad. LFC has been unbeaten in 18 competitive games (15 wins, three draws). The last defeat – a 0-1 home win against Inter Milan in the Champions League round of 16 – also had no consequences, as the Scousers had previously won the first leg in San Siro 2-0.
20:05
It is already the third time that both teams are playing against each other for the handle pot. Many of those involved will certainly remember the final four years ago, when the Madrilenians prevailed 3-1 after a goal from Karim Benzema and a brace from Gareth Bale. Almost 41 years ago to the day, on May 27, 1981, there was another final between the two teams. The final of the then European Cup of Champions took place here in Paris of all places. In the end, the Reds won 1-0.
20:00
Good evening and welcome from the Stade de France. Here, Liverpool and Real Madrid face off in the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League final at 21:00.