Liverpool vs Real Madrid is the final match of this year's UEFA Champions League. Klopp's Liverpool looks to continue to cement their legacy as European powerhouse with another UCL win. While Real Madrid will be gunning for another UCL trophy showing the world why they are biggest club in Europe.

The best of the best on the ultimate stage. 🙌

🔴🏆⚪️@LFC | @realmadrid | #UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/nWMv7oKArH

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 28, 2022

Liverpool vs Real Madrid: Match Preview:

Los Merengues boss Carlo Ancelotti has his sights set on winning a record-breaking fourth Champions League title as a manager, but the Reds will be out to give him a ride for his money.

Despite falling a single point short of bitter rivals Manchester City in one of the fiercest Premier League title races in recent years, Jurgen Klopp's lads could still claim a treble of cup successes this season.

It all promises a mouth-watering final in Paris, as Liverpool ace Mohamed Salah already took to Twitter to start a pre-match talking battle by saying – "We're not done yet."

We're not done yet. pic.twitter.com/IiBuC0d9WN

— Mohamed Salah (@MoSalah) May 23, 2022

Salah still holds unpleasant memories from his last appearance in the Champions League final against Madrid.Sergio Ramos halted his contribution in the Kyiv showpiece in 2018 by sidelining him with a malicious tackle already in the first half. With the Egyptian superstar out of action early in the final, Madrid strolled to an overwhelming 3-1 victory in a match highlighted by Loris Karius' epic blunders.

It was the 13th time the newly-crowned La Liga champions were crowned the Champions League winners, marking Liverpool's third defeat in the competition's title-defining fixture.

Vengeance will be on the cards when two of Europe's best-achieving sides collide in Paris as Klopp seeks his second Champions League success in four years.

Team News:

Liverpool:

Having started to string together a consistent run of matches and improve his fitness levels, the luckless Thiago Alcantara headed straight down the tunnel before the end of the first half against Wolves after sustaining an Achilles injury.

Klopp was initially pessimistic about his chances of featuring in the final, but the Reds boss has since changed his tune, and there is renewed hope over Thiago's availability for the contest – whether he can play the full 90 or 120 minutes is another question entirely.

Always smiling, @LuisFDiaz19 😁

Check out the full gallery as the Reds trained at Stade de France on the eve of the #UCLfinal

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) May 27, 2022

On another bright note, Fabinho's hamstring injury is expected to let up in time after he returned to team training on Wednesday, while Joe Gomez should also be a part of the squad after bouncing back quickly from an ankle knock.

Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah were both fit enough for places on the bench last weekend after their FA Cup final knocks and will expect to return to the first XI here, with the latter bagging the Reds' second to share the Golden Boot with Son Heung-min.

Diogo Jota is sure to make way for Salah, while Ibrahima Konate was largely at fault for Wolves' quickfire opener at the weekend, but the Champions League regular will aim to hold his spot over Joel Matip for the final.

However, cult hero Divock Origi has played his last game for the club after sustaining a muscular problem in training, meaning that there will be no farewell 2019 moment for the celebrated Belgian ahead of an anticipated free transfer to AC Milan.

Real Madrid:

In stark contrast, Real boss Ancelotti will hope to have everyone fit and available for his side's 17th European Cup/Champions League final, with David Alaba making his return to training in midweek following an adductor issue.

Alaba was absent from the squad to face Betis but should take his rightful place in the first XI here barring any setbacks – demoting Nacho Fernandez down to the bench in the process.

💬 @MrAncelotti#UCL | #APorLa14 pic.twitter.com/rH9RKbBSb8

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) May 27, 2022

Champions League veteran Marcelo has also shaken off fitness woes to make himself available but will once again play second fiddle to Ferland Mendy, while Eder Militao will expect to hold his spot despite calls for the Brazilian to be dropped.

As impressive as Eduardo Camavinga has been off the bench during Real's run to the final, the 19-year-old would only edge out Casemiro, Toni Kroos or Luka Modric should one member of the midfield trio pick up an injury before Saturday.

The Liverpool high line is made for the likes of Vinicius and Rodrygo to run in behind, but the latter's incredible impact as a substitute may tempt Ancelotti into continuing with Federico Valverde slightly further forward.

Another hat-trick for Benzema in the showpiece event would see him break the record for the most Champions League goals in a single campaign – currently held by Cristiano Ronaldo's 17 in 2013-14 – while he only needs to make the net ripple once to becoem the outright third-highest goalscorer in the competition as he sits level with Robert Lewandowski on 86.

Liverpool vs Real Madrid: Head to Head:

Real Madrid have a slight edge over Liverpool and have won four of the eight matches played between the two teams. Liverpool have managed three victories against Real Madrid and will need to level the scales on Saturday.

The previous meeting between the two teams took place last year and ended in a 0-0 stalemate. Both teams squandered chances on the day and will want to be more clinical this weekend.

Recent performances in all competitions:

Liverpool:

1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur

2-1 win over Aston Villa

6-5 win over Chelsea on penalties.

2-1 win over Southampton

3-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers

Real Madrid:

3-1 win over Manchester City

1-0 loss against Atletico Madrid

6-0 win over Levante

1-1 draw against Cadiz

0-0 draw against Real Betis

Liverpool vs Real Madrid: Predicted Line-ups:

Liverpool Predicted XI (4-3-3): Alisson Becker; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, Andrew Robertson; Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara; Luis Diaz, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah

Real Madrid Predicted XI (4-3-3): Thibaut Courtois; Ferland Mendy, Nacho, Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal; Casemiro, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric; Federico Valverde, Vinicius Junior, Karim Benzema

LIV vs RM: Dream 11 Predictions:

Kylian Mbappe has issued an apologetic statement on Instagram claiming responsibility for Real Madrid's frustrating 1-2 defeat against Athletic Bilbao in LalIga last night. Bilbao keeper Julen Agirrezabala saved Mbappe's attempt from the penalty spot in the 68th minute, ruining a huge chance for Madrid to grab an equalizer. Following the defeat, Mbappe posted a message to the fans on Instagram to convey an apology. 

Kylian Mbappe has issued this message after #RealMadrid's 2-1 defeat at Athletic Club this evening (via IG). pic.twitter.com/IkGrQaG8zM

— Football España (@footballespana_) December 4, 2024

Real Madrid faces a tough defeat 

Real Madrid spoiled a golden opportunity to decrease the points gap between them and league-leaders Barcelona, who are currently atop with 37 points in 16 matches. Real Madrid has accumulated 33 points so far, playing one game less than their eternal rivals. 

🔚 FINAL I GOOOOOAAAAAAZEEEEEEEEEN!

Enorme victoria del Athletic sobre el @realmadrid en un auténtico partidazo en San Mamés.

👏 ZORIONAK, MUTILAK! #AthleticRealMadrid #AthleticClub 🦁 pic.twitter.com/uOq8lnB1lo

— Athletic Club (@AthleticClub) December 4, 2024

The match against Athletic Bilbao has been a rollercoaster ride for Los Blancos, as Kylian Mbappe's early goal was ruled out for offside in the 12th minute. Both teams failed to produce any goal in the first half. Alejandro Remiro scored in the 53rd minute to hand Bilbao the lead. 15 minutes later, Kylian Mbappe took the penalty in search of the equalizer but Julen Agirrezabala came out on top to deny his strike. Jude Bellingham found the equalizer in the 78th minute of the game, but all their efforts remained unfruitful as Gorka Guruzeta scored the winning goal for Bilbao, only two minutes after Bellingham found the net. 

Real Madrid have already faced 5 defeats across all competitions this season, compared to their two defeats in the whole 2023-24 season. Athletic Bilbao has also found the winning ways against Real Madrid since March of 2015. 

Mbappe's woes continue

What should have been a dream take-off, turned into a dreadful dream for Kylian Mbappe. The French superstar has struggled to find his form for the Los Blancos. Although he has scored 10 goals in 20 games across all competitions, it does not equal or surpass the calibre he once provided in PSG and France shirts. 

This penalty miss against Athletic is Mbappe's second missed penalty in his Real Madrid career, while the first one came last week against Liverpool in Madrid's Champions League outing. On the other hand, Mbappe found the in the 12th minute but the flag was up for offside. Mbappe has been caught offside 22 times so far this season including last night!

However, these lackluster and inconsistent performances from Kylian Mbappe since the start of this season have taken a toll on his mental health. According to L'Equipe's reports in November 2024, Kylian Mbappe has been dealing with a psychological problem and emotionally devastated. Antoine Simonneau, a correspondent for 'L'Equipe' in Madrid, revealed to Carrusel Deportivo that Mbappe is the focus of many people’s anger in France. 

Mbappe also faced an unpleasant experience while dealing with France's national team coach Didier Deschamps. Deschamps dropped Mbappe from France's squad for their UEFA Nations League clashes against Israel and Italy in November due to his poor form. 

However, Mbappe has issued a message via his Instagram story and offered hope for the fans. He said:

"Bad result. A big mistake in a match where every detail counts. I take FULL responsibility for it. A difficult moment but it’s the best time to change this situation and show WHO I AM”.

Ancelotti backs Mbappe

Real Madrid gaffer Carlo Ancelotti has expressed his confidence in Mbappe. However, he admitted that the French superstar has yet to showcase his utmost potential. 

"He is at a lot more than just 1% (of his potential), but he's not at his best," Ancelotti told a press conference.

"However, we have to give him time to adapt (to Real Madrid). He has scored 10 goals and is working hard to improve and to do better.

"I haven't spoken to him yet. It was a complicated, even, hard-fought, competitive game. We missed a penalty... I don't evaluate a player's game because of a missed penalty... sometimes you score and sometimes you miss. Obviously, he's sad, disappointed, but we have to keep going."

via The Business Standard

Mohammed Salah once again proved why he is one of the greatest wingers of his generation scoring 2 goals to give Liverpool the much-needed win against Kieran Mckenna's Southampton.

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First Half

Liverpool dominated possession early in the match, but it was Southampton who threatened to open the scoring first as Mateus Fernandes tested Kelleher’s reactions from distance.

Dominik Szoboszlai gave Liverpool the lead with a superb strike in the 30th minute, but Southampton equalized before halftime through Adam Armstrong, who provided a deft finish in the 42nd minute.

The visitors kept on piling the pressure but Southampton was resolute in defending and getting back into shape as quickly as possible which made it difficult to break them down. this kept the scores tied heading into the break.

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Second Half

The Saints pulled ahead early in the second half when Mateus Fernandes scored in the 56th minute, capitalizing on Armstrong’s assist. However, Liverpool responded with intensity, as Mohamed Salah leveled the match in the 65th minute after a clever setup by Ryan Gravenberch.

Salah sealed the win with a calmly taken penalty in the 83rd minute, completing his brace and securing all three points for the visitors.

Read Also| Five Arsenal stars who left and went on to win the Premier League with other clubs

Southampton fought hard, with Fernandes and Armstrong among their standout performers, but Liverpool's attacking quality proved decisive. The Reds' resilience kept them in contention in the Premier League title race.

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Final Score

Liverpool- 3 (Szoboszlai 30', Mohammed Salah 65', 83')

Southampton- 2 (Armstrong 42', Fernandez 56')

Players who earn a place in the starting eleven crash into the headlines mostly, but those who come off the bench are never insignificant. Depending on the situation and for various other tactical and strategic moves, substitute players can make huge differences when things start getting tough on the pitch. 

Sportzpoint explores the greatest substitutions that changed the football history and remained folkloric.

Mario Gotze

(Germany vs Argentina, FIFA World Cup Final 2014)

Mario Gotze lived the dream of every footballer back in 2014 when he scored the only goal against Argentina in the Final to take Germany to their fourth World Cup glory. 

What a goal to win it! 🤯 🇩🇪 @MarioGoetze, #OnThisDay in 2014 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ #FIFAWorldCup | @DFB_Team pic.twitter.com/gluKvx1o8v

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 13, 2022

Gotze came off the bench replacing the legendary Miroslav Klose, only two minutes before the full-time whistle but the game ended goalless. However, in the 113 minute of AET, Gotze received Schurrle's pass on the left and from a close range to the goal; and his left-footed strike fooled Argentina keeper Romero to end up in the goal. 

Argentina could not bounce back from this late setback and Germany lifted the World Cup 2014. Mario Gotze's substitution remained one of the most impactful in the history of football. 

Gareth Bale

(Real Madrid vs Liverpool, UCL Final 2017-18)

Gareth Bale admitted in an interview with FourFourTwo that he was very frustrated after not getting a start for Real Madrid in the 2017-18 UCL Final against Liverpool. However, Bale's fallout with Real Madrid's then-manager Zinedine Zidane led us to experience one of the greatest substitutions in the Champions League's history.

After a goalless first half, Karim Benzema opened the scoring in the 51st minute; but Sadio Mane only took 4 minutes to equalize for Liverpool. In the 61st minute, Bale replaced Isco but who would have thought that the Welshman was going to rewrite history and all by himself? 

#GoalOfTheDay | Gareth Bale vs Liverpool (2018) pic.twitter.com/B4dA2c4FV2

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) March 19, 2023

Only 3 minutes after Bale came on, Marcelo's cross found him in the box and Bale produced an acrobatic overhead volley, and the ball ended up in the net. Bale sealed the victory for Madrid in the 83rd minute with a rocketed strike which made Liverpool keeper Karius fumble and the ball went inside. Coming off the bench, Gareth Bale scored this heroic brace to lead Real Madrid to win their third consecutive UCL title.

Eder

(Portugal vs France, EURO 2016 Final)

Eder became an overnight sensation after slotting a late strike to win Portugal the EURO 2016, their first-ever major trophy in history. 

France and Portugal both wasted opportunities in the full-time but things became very wrong for Portugal way before. In the 25th minute, the talisman Cristiano Ronaldo faced a rough challenge from Dimitri Payet, and he was subbed off injured. However, Eder came off the bench in the 79th minute of the Final but the 90-minute of play ended in a stalemate of a 0-0 scoreline.

🇵🇹🚀 7 years ago today: Portugal beat France 1-0 in the EURO 2016 final courtesy of this goal from Éder in extra-time! pic.twitter.com/vsNwduJugw

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) July 10, 2023

But it was Eder, who only played 13 minutes in the tournament, stepped up and broke the deadlock to score the only goal in the final in the 109th minute. France could not produce a comeback as Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo lifted their first-ever major international trophy.

Ilkay Gundogan

(Manchester City vs Aston Villa, 2021-22 Premier League)

It was a neck-to-neck battle between Manchester City and Liverpool in the 2021-22 Premier League title race. Before heading into the last matchday on 22 May 2022, Manchester City was atop the table with 90 points in 37 matches and Liverpool was positioned just behind with 89 points in the same number of games.

Manchester City was set to face Aston Villa in the last match of the season and a win would ensure their fourth consecutive PL title. However, things did not go as planned for Pep Guardiola's men as Matty Cash scored for Villa in the 37th minute, and Philippe Coutinho extended the lead in the 69th minute. Coincidentally, Ilkay Gundogan replaced Bernardo Silva just one minute before Villa's second goal. Man City's title contender Liverpool was playing Wolves at the same time and they were held to a 1-1 draw after 70 minutes.

Run it back. ⏪@IlkayGuendogan's return to @ManCity has got us thinking about his iconic super-sub performance to help win the 2021/22 title 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/ENkxMiRUnQ

— Premier League (@premierleague) August 23, 2024

What happened afterward will always be written in golden words in the Premier League's history. It was Ilkay Gundogan who scored City's first goal in the 76th minute as his powerful header went in. Just two minutes later, Rodri placed a powerful strike to level the scoreline by 2-2 and City was back on top of the table.

𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘺. 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴 🏆 @ManCity pic.twitter.com/DSU9p1cmcO

— Premier League India (@PLforIndia) May 29, 2022

It did not take much time for Gundogan to score his second and City's third as he put the ball inside with a close-range tap-in to almost win the league for City! The match eventually ended as City won the game by 3-2 and clinched their fourth consecutive PL title, all thanks to the German's magic after coming off the bench. 

Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 

(Manchester United vs Bayern Munich, 1998-99 UCL Final)

The world witnessed one of the greatest UCL finals ever on 27 May 1999 when Manchester United and Bayern Munich faced off for the coveted glory. Manchester United won the game by 2-1 in such an otherworldly manner that it still mesmerizes the next generation, and everything happened because of two substitute players, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. 

Bayern Munich took an early by scoring in the 6th minute of the match. Manchester United could not break the deadlock and headed into the break trailing 0-1. Teddy Sheringham replaced Jesper Blomqvist in the 67th minute and Solskjaer was brought in by Sir Alex Ferguson to replace Andy Cole in the 81st minute. 

On this day in 1999, Manchester United completed the historic treble after scoring two injury time goals to beat Bayern Munich! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/odhsJL5BqG

— SPORTbible (@sportbible) May 26, 2021

The game was in favour of Bayern even after 90 minutes but Sheringham slotted the ball home in just one minute into the injury time to equalize for the Red Devils. Solskjaer achieved the final glory with a simple tap-in only after two minutes, and thus the two substitutes led United to the Champions League victory.

FC Barcelona defender Paul Cubarsi had to go through a rigorous payment of getting 10 stitches on his face after facing a brutal injury in the Crvena Zvezda vs Barcelona UEFA Champions League 2024/25 match.

In the 63rd minute of the game while defending a low ball in Barcelona's box Cubarsi suffered nearly a career threatening injury. It was Crvena captain Spajić who went for the ball with a high boot and Cubarsi also went for the ball with his header. 

Unfortunately, the high boot from Spajić caught the face of Cubarsi and an immidiate medical attention was called by the Barcelona players on the field. The game was stopped for nearly 3-4 minutes as Cubarsi recieved an early attention from the doctors. 

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A post shared by FC Barcelona (@fcbarcelona)

He was soon subbed off as Sergi Dominguez replaced him on the filed. Spajić was shown a yellow card for this offence. 

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick after the match confirmed that Pau Cubarsi is all fine and recieved 10 stitches on his face after the injury. His teammate Gavi showed respect for the 17 year old defender by calling him a fighter on his Instagram story.

Barcelona thrashed Crvena Zvezda by 2-5 in an away fixture as Robert Lewandowski scored a brace for them. Jules Kounde provided three assists in the match while Raphinha, Inigo Martinez and Fermin Lopez scored a goal apiece in the match. Barcelona now have moved to 6th position in the UEFA Champions League table with 9 points from 4 games.

Hello and welcome to another LIVE coverage of the UEFA Champions League football match. Tonight, we will cover the Crvena Zvezda vs Barcelona match in the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 season. 

The story before the match

Barcelona have been in red-hot form and on the contrary Crvena Zvezda have not won any matches in the tournament this season. With 6 points in three games, FC Barcelona are currently placed at the number 15 position. Meantime, with no points and a -9 goal difference, the Serbian club are currently at the number 33 position in the points table.

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However, in all competitions, Crvena Zvezda have won four out of their last five matches and looked in great form in the national league. Barcelona have also been undefeated and won all of their last five games across competitions. 

This will be the fifth time these two teams face each other. Barcelona have won 3 of those four games while drawing once. Only time will tell if the Serbian League champions will be able to resist rampant Barcelona, or if it will be an easy win for the La Liga table toppers.

So, sit down and relax as we bring you updates, facts, and news of the Crvena Zvezda vs Barcelona match from our webdesk.