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On May 27, 1981, the Liverpool fans inside the Parc des Princes erupted in jubilation as a late Ray Kennedy strike clinched the European Cup. The balance of power in European football had shifted and beaten finalists Real Madrid looked on in dejection as Kennedy and co celebrated wildly. Liverpool supporters will be praying for a repeat of those heroics when the Reds face Real Madrid in the Champions League final in Kiev on May 26. It promises to be an exhilarating encounter between two attacking teams that have surged into the final on the back of exciting, risk-taking football.
But whereas Liverpool were the clear favourites back in 1981, they are now serious underdogs, as things have not quite gone to plan for the Reds in the ensuing 27 years. Los Blancos won the first five European Cups, between 1955 and 1960, but in the 1980s Liverpool moved up to four in the all-time stakes and looked destined to usurp them as the most successful club in the competition’s history. However, Real Madrid have since made a mockery of such talk, and last year they were crowned kings of Europe for an 11th time. They have not lost a final since that evening in 1981, beating Juventus twice, Valencia, Bayer Leverkusen and Atletico Madrid twice.
They are currently blessed with a magnificent side, teeming with world-class talent, and they have won the famous trophy in three of the last four seasons. Last year, they became the first team to ever successfully defend it since it rebranded from the European Cup to the Champions League. They absolutely obliterated Juventus in the final, with star man Cristiano Ronaldo on fire, and they thoroughly deserved their 11th trophy.
AC Milan have won this competition seven times, leaving them second in the all-time stakes, and next up are Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Liverpool on five apiece. That is esteemed company for the Reds, who added to their tally by producing a rousing, Gerrard-inspired comeback against Milan in 2005. They can now become the third most successful team in European Cup / Champions League history if they beat Real Madrid in Kiev on May 26. However, the lines at SportingIndex.com make worrying reading for Liverpool fans, as it shows they are clear underdogs. They are no longer classed as European heavyweights, having not even won the domestic league title in England for several decades.
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But they should go into this final in fearless fashion after beating Champions League favourites Man City home and away in the quarter-finals. They rode their luck in the second leg of their semi-final against Roma, but they destroyed Eusebio di Francesco’s men in the first leg with some of the most brilliant attacking football ever witnessed. If they play like that against an ageing and struggling Real Madrid side in the final, they should go on to secure a famous victory.
Los Blancos may be into the Champions League final once more, but it has been a testing season for Zinedine Zidane’s men. They finished well behind Barcelona in La Liga, and they have underwhelmed in the Champions League too. They lost to Spurs in the group stage, finishing second and they suffered a bruising second leg defeat against Juventus in the quarter-finals, needing a last gasp Ronaldo penalty to see them through. They seriously rode their luck against an injury-ravaged Bayern Munich in the semi-finals and they were extremely lucky to make it through, so there are obvious chinks in the armour. Real Madrid did not invest in the squad in the summer and they have paid the price this season.
Liverpool can certainly pull off an upset on May 26. Jurgen Klopp has put together a fantastic, energetic team, bursting with desire, incision and dynamism. They just need to believe in their own ability. Some teams have seemed daunted by Real Madrid’s aura of greatness this season and lost the mental battle before the tie has even started. If Liverpool can inject belief and positivity into their performance in the final, they should win it.
There are plenty of reasons to be confident. Their intense pressing game has seen them overwhelm teams in the Champions League this season, and there is no reason why they cannot pull off a similar feat against Real Madrid. In Mohamed Salah, they have the most exciting attacking talent in Europe right now, and the Egyptian has emerged as the man most likely to steal Ronaldo’s Ballon d’Or. He put Roma to the sword with an outrageous display of attacking swagger in the previous round, and he has since won all three Footballer of the Year awards in England. Alongside him, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane are in fine form. Manager Jurgen Klopp sets the tone with his impassioned touchline displays, and his team have been playing with a level of ferocity that has simply terrified opponents. Virgil van Dijk has tightened up the defence somewhat, and they can exploit Real's weaknesses down the flanks.
There is also no need for Liverpool to be daunted by Real Madrid’s history. The Reds have an extremely proud heritage in this competition, and if they can channel the spirit of Kennedy, Graeme Sounness, Kenny Dalglish, Phil Thompson et al on May 26 they will be just fine. Real Madrid have enjoyed a fantastic period of unprecedented dominance in recent years, but this team is on its last legs and Real are ripe for a younger, hungrier and more energetic rival to kill them off.
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Written by Ketan Patel
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