Champions League: There’s surely only one winner in this final

The Champions League Final has been decided. There’s surely only one winner isn’t there?

There is no maxim of course that says 7-3 is the most dangerous score in football, but last Wednesday evening in the eternal city, Liverpool came within one goal of making the ridiculous come true.

Thankfully they survived, which is at least something for the neutrals to cheer because for my money, AS Roma wouldn’t look out-of-place in the Championship. Their coach has bemoaned the absence of VAR which conveniently overlooks his team’s total drubbing in the first leg where the SAS wouldn’t have been able to stop the constant bombardment.

Liverpool march to Kiev

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So Liverpool will march on to Kiev to face the team for whom a Champions League final resembles popping out for a spot of lunch at the local tapas bar. The result is hard to call, but we can be sure there will be goals because in the context of their respective leagues, both defences have proven to be as reliable as an English summer. Indeed the art of defending has been lost in action with the two semi-finals serving up twenty goals, an average of five goals per leg!

When one looks at the respective teams it’s hard to avoid this conclusion. Liverpool’s now famed front three will be hard to stop, though it could be argued that Real Madrid have more ammunition in their arsenal in as much as goals can literally come from seven or eight of their team. But, as in most games, it will be won in midfield where Madrid don’t employ water carriers, and when they do they tend to be two footed, technically brilliant kind and worth approximately north of sixty million.

Liverpool’s engine room contains Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Emre Can and Georginio Wijnaldum. Not much you might say when compared to the glitterati of Luka Modric, Tony Kroos, Isco and Asensio. On paper a footballing mis-match?

Madrid and Liverpool share the same flaws

At the back Liverpool have shored things up a little in defence, a part of the game that for Klopp resembles that piece of DIY that husbands always promise their wives they’ll get around to, but of course seldom do. His recent purchase of Virgil Van Dijk has silenced some of his critics, though Dejan Lovren who is football’s answer to a leaking ship, has disaster written all over him.

No doubt Ronaldo will sleep like a baby between now and May 26th. I won’t mention the Liverpool goalkeeper. At full back Klopp has a massive decision to make. Should he stick with Alexander-Arnold who struggled against Roma, or does he reinstate Klein? A tough call, and here Klopp needs to be brave because now isn’t the time to be a chicken in Kiev!

However, Madrid has more to offer

Mind you, Madrid have their own walking mistakes in defence with Varane, Nacho and Marcelo who has never really convinced me. And then the forwards. Mohamed Salah. Footballer and Football Writers Footballer of the year, is having one of those seasons where he could score blindfolded. Firmino and Sane have both provided brilliant supporting roles to the main man. It is their collective pace which carries Liverpool’s main threat.

For Madrid, I am personally of the view that Benzema is past his best and it could be said that the same applies to Ronaldo. But one thing is as certain as night following day, and that is that Ronaldo is one of football’s greatest ever big-game players. He ALWAYS scores and I’m convinced he’ll do so in this final. We all know what Gareth Bale is capable of and Sergio Ramos knows where the goal is on these big occasions.

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So there you have it. Madrid have a better midfield, a better defence, and more goal threats. In short, better players, more winners, more leaders and of course they’ve all done this before. There can really only be one winner can’t there? Of course. So that’s why I’m taking Liverpool to win 3-2 after extra time.