All’s well that ends well, but as per usual England, with the help of the ref, don’t make it easy for their supporters. At least Panama should be a walk in the park? Right, right? Could 2018 be the end of England’s World Cup woes?

Last season, Liverpool made giant steps toward establishing themselves once again as a European powerhouse. They managed to clinch a top four sport on the final day of the PL and by that time were already in the Champions
League finals. On their way there, they managed to dispense with teams such as Man City and Roma, which are considered some of the finest in the business. Liverpool broke all sorts of records on their way to Kiev, with the front three of Roberto Firmino, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane playing talismanic roles. While the team had a decent game against Real Madrid  in Kiev, it was a horror show from goalkeeper Lorius Karius that eventually gave the Spaniards
their 3rd Cl trophy in 3 straight tries. The Merseysiders probably won’t beat themselves up too much about this, seeing as  even reaching the quarters would have been considered an achievement at the beginning of the season.

On the PL side, plenty of gains were made. The Reds managed to qualify for the CL for the second time in a row, which clearly underlines the resurgent mood of Anfield under Jurgen Klopp. They did so despite having a thin squad, which is testament to their quality. Mohamed Salah joined-and then steamrolled- the top names in PL history, becoming the only player to score 32 goals in a 38-game season.

As Liverpool prepares for another shot at glory next season, they have set about deepening their squad. Naby Keita’s arrival is on schedule, and the Reds have already snapped Brazil sensation Fabinho. Moving forward, Klopp and his staff will be required to manage and perhaps build on the expectations set last season at Anfield. It will be a hard thing to do for sure, but the affable German has never been one to shy away from taking on a challenge.

As an extension 0f my previous post, Raheem Stirling vs The Sun, below gives a taste of how the National Press ( primarily The Sun) have obsessed over the Manchester City and England player in recent years. This latest incident, a faux outrageous reaction to his gun tattoo is just one in a long line of ‘stories’ that taken alone are silly, and together border on harrassment. Many thanks to twitter user @adamkeyworth for bringing these examples to out attention.

And so it is here – the biggest game in club football, taking place on 26th May at 19:45. The 2018 UEFA Champions League Final waits in Kiev, with Liverpool, five-times winners themselves, looking to stop European royalty. Real Madrid await in their third consecutive final, looking to make legendary status for the players and the club well and truly sealed. Can the Reds stop Los Blancos?

Liverpool News

The Reds come into this with a weakened squad, it has to be said. Emre Can and James Milner are both doubts for the Final, while Joe Gomez, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Joe Matip will all sit this one out.

That’s a lot of players to be missing from an already shallow squad. While Milner is more likely to make it than Can, it does leave Jürgen Klopp a touch short on numbers. It means that his team is likely to be a touch more predictable than some might have expected when they arrived in Kiev.

Madrid News

Madrid are literally without a single missing player – rare for such a peak time of the season. With everyone filly fit, including Gareth Bale, Madrid have plenty of firepower to call upon. With Karim Benzema expected to start another big game for Madrid, though it will be interesting to see how he handles himself in many ways.

The two minor doubts, Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo, are both passed fit and ready to go. This is likely to be a draining final, and the energy of both sides will be 100% called into question.

Verdict

It’s hard to say – there is no real way to determine such a Final. For all the arguments of Madrid having the experience and the arrogance to expect to win, Liverpool feel like a team that is emboldened by destiny. Whatever happens, it’s sure to go down as the most exciting Champions League Final in recent memory.