This Saturday, the Champions League Final between Liverpool and Real Madrid will be contested at the Stade de France in Saint Denis, Paris.
Two of the biggest and most successful names in the Champions League final history will go head-to-head once again for the third time for European football’s most prestigious trophy.
In this article, we’re going to preview the game and give you the latest news as well as our betting tips for the Final itself but with that in mind, let’s bring you news of an offer currently available at one of the UK’s top betting sites.
Not only can you get great value betting on the game both pre-match and In Play at bet365 Sport, but you can also claim a brand new Champions League Final Welcome Bonus as a new customer of Bet £10 and Get £50 In Free Bets.
Significant Terms And Conditions
- Available to new customers only. Make a qualifying deposit of £5* or more and claim the offer within 30 days of registering your account to qualify for 500% of that amount in Bet Credits, up to a maximum of £50* in Bet Credits. Once released your Bet Credits will be held in your account balance and are non-withdrawable.
- To release your Bet Credits for use, you must place qualifying bets to the value of your qualifying deposit (capped at £10*) and they must settle within 30 days of claiming the offer. Only qualifying bets placed and settled after claiming this offer count towards this requirement.
- Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, paysafecard and all other prepaid credit and debit cards, where available, cannot be used for either your qualifying deposit or any subsequent withdrawal of returns from Bet Credits stakes unless we have successfully verified an accepted for of your Identity Documents and you have entered a Postal Verification Code (PVC), or we have successfully verified two accepted forms of identity documents. See condition 2 of full Terms and Conditions for details.
- Bets placed must contain certain conditions towards the release of your Bet Credits:
- Must contain one selection of odds of 1/5 (1.20) or greater.
- Only the largest cumulative stake on an individual selection within a market/fixture combination (either pre-match or In-Play) will count towards the settled bets requirement.
- Where a stake has been partially Cashed Out, only the remaining active will count.
- Where a bet has been edited using our Edit Bet feature, only the new stake on the new bet will count.
- Fully Cashed Out, Instant Games, Gaming, Free Bets, void bets or In-Play bets which are settled as a push will not count.
- Your bet credits are non-withdrawable, and Bet Credit stakes are not included in any returns. Any returns from Bet Credits placed will be added to your Withdrawable Balance. Bet Credits cannot be used on certain products, offers/promotions and bet types. See Full Terms and Conditions for details.
- Your Bet Credits will be forfeit and removed if your account is inactive for 90 consecutive days.
Let’s now begin our preview of the final by taking a look at how both teams reached Paris.
The Road To Paris – Liverpool
Champions League 2021/22 Results
- Group Stage 1 – v AC Milan (H) – W 3-2 (Tomori OG 9, Salah 48, Henderson 69)
- Group Stage 2 – v FC Porto (A) – W 5-1 (Salah 18,60, Mane 45, Firmino 77.81)
- Group Stage 3 – v Atletico Madrid (A) – W 3-2 (Salah 8,78(p), Keita 13)
- Group Stage 4 – v Atletico Madrid (H) – W 2-0 (Jota 13, Mane 21)
- Group Stage 5 – v FC Porto (H) – W 2-0 (Thiago 52, Salah 70)
- Group Stage 6 – v AC Milan (A) – W 2-1 (Salah 36, Origi 55)
Group Stage Table – Group B
- Liverpool – 18pts
- Atletico Madrid – 7pts
- FC Porto – 5pts
- AC Milan – 4pts
Drawn into what looked like a very tough group, Liverpool made light work of progressing through the tournament winning all six group games to top the group with maximum points, the first time the Reds had managed to achieve that feat in the Champions League.
As a group winner they were one of the eight top seeds for the Knockout Phase draw which saw them initially drawn against Inter Milan in the Round of 16.
Knockout Phase
- Round of 16 1st Leg – v Inter Milan (A) – W 2-0 (Firmino 75, Salah 83)
- Round of 16 2nd Leg – v Inter Milan (H) – L 0-1
- Quarter Final 1st Leg – v Benfica (A) – W 3-1 (Konate 17, Mane 34, Diaz 87)
- Quarter Final 2nd Leg – v Benfica (H) – D 3-3 (Konate 21, Firmino 55,65)
- Semi Final 1st Leg – v Villarreal (H) – W 2-0 (Estupinan OG 53, Mane 55)
- Semi Final 2nd Leg – v Villarreal (A) – W 3-2 (Fabinho 62, Diaz 67, Mane 74)
Liverpool’s sole draw and defeat in the Champions League came at Anfield against Inter in the Round of 16 and Benfica in the quarterfinals but in both cases, the Reds had done enough in the first leg to ensure that they still went through.
In the semifinals, Villarreal were beaten 2-0 at Anfield, but in a dramatic first half in the second leg, the Spaniards went in 2-0 up and level in the tie, only for Liverpool to score three second half goals to progress easily into the final.
Liverpool Squad
Manager – Jurgen Klopp
Goalkeepers – Alisson Becker, Caoiminh Kelleher, Adrian, Marcelo Pitaluga
Defenders – Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson, Virgil Van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Konstantinos Tsimikas, Joel Matip, Joe Gomez, Owen Beck, Rhys Williams
Midfielders – Thiago (doubt), Fabinho (doubt), Harvey Elliott, Naby Keita, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Curtis Jones, Tyler Morton, Conor Bradley
Attackers – Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino. Diogo Jota, Takumi Minamino, Divock Origi (inj), Kaide Gordon
Joe Gomez, Mo Salah and Virgil Van Dijk have all recovered from injury for the Reds and should be fit for the final. However, Divock Origi is out with a hamstring injury, while Fabinho is a slight doubt and Thiago a major doubt (rated about 50/50) as to whether the Spaniard will be fit to play.
- Predicted Liverpool Team – 4-3-3 – Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Robertson, Van Dijk, Matip, Fabinho, Henderson, Keita, Diaz, Mane, Salah.
The Road To Paris – Real Madrid
Champions League 2021/22 Results
- Group Stage 1 – v Inter Milan (A) – W 1-0 – (Rodrygo 89)
- Group Stage 2 – v Sheriff Tiraspol (H) – L 1-2 – (Benzema 65(p))
- Group Stage 3 – v Shakhtar Donetsk (A) – W 5-0 (Kryvtsov OG 37, Vini Jr 51,56, Rodrygo 65, Benzema 90)
- Group Stage 4 – v Shakhtar Donetsk (H) – W 2-1 (Benzema 14,61)
- Group Stage 5 – v Sheriff Tiraspol (A) – W 3-0 (Alaba 30, Kroos 45, Benzema 55)
- Group Stage 6 – v Inter Milan (H) – W 2-0 (Kroos 17, Asensio 79)
Group Stage Table – Group D
- Real Madrid – 15pts
- Inter Milan – 10pts
- Sheriff Tiraspol – 7pts
- Shakhtar Donetsk – 2pts
After a solid start in Milan, Real were rocked when they went down to a shock 2-1 defeat at home to Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol, however, they won their remaining four games to top their group comfortably and earn a top seed spot in the knockout phase draw.
In that draw, it seemed the fates had not been kind to Real as they drew arguably the toughest possible opponents in French Champions, Paris St Germain.
Knockout Phase
- Round of 16 1st Leg – v Paris St Germain (A) – L 0-1
- Round of 16 2nd Leg – v Paris St Germain (H) – W 3-1 (Benzema 61,76,78)
- Quarter Final 1st Leg – v Chelsea (A) – W 3-1 (Benzema 21,24,46)
- Quarter Final 2nd Leg – v Chelsea (H) – L 2-3 (aet) (Rodrygo 80, Benzema 96)
- Semi Final 1st Leg – v Manchester City (A) – L 3-4 (Benzema 33,82(p), Vinicius Jr. 55)
- Semi Final 2nd Leg – v Manchester City (H) W 3-1 AET (Rodrygo 90, 90+1, Benzema(p) 95)
Real Madrid’s kamikaze ride through the group stage started with a 17-minute Benzema hat-trick sparking a second half comeback against PSG after they were losing 2-0 on aggregate and seemingly on their way out of the tournament.
They defeated Chelsea 3-1 in London but were 3-0 down at home and heading out until another late fightback was crowned with an extra time winner and incredibly, they were 5-3 down against Manchester City in the 90th minute and still managed to force extra time and then win the game in a crazy five-minute spell.
Real Madrid Squad
Manager – Carlo Ancelotti
Goalkeepers – Thibaut Courtois, Andriy Lunin, Toni Ribeira, Diego Pinero
Defenders – Marcelo, David Alaba (doubt), Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Nacho, Ferland Mendy, Jesus Vallejo, Miguel Gutierrez, Rafael Zamora, Mario Gila, Sergio Santos
Midfielders – Luka Modric, Eduardo Camavinga, Toni Kroos, Casemiro, Lucas Vazquez, Isco, Federico Valverde, Dani Ceballos, Antonio Blanco, Peter Gonzalez
Attackers – Karim Benzema, Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr., Gareth Bale, Marco Asensio, Eden Hazard, Luka Jovic, Mariano Diaz, Juan Miguel Latasa
The only doubt for Real for the game on Saturday is David Alaba, but Carlo Ancelotti has already intimated that he has a fully-fit squad to pick from for this game, although Marcelo is believed to have a very slight knock too.
The main selection choice for Real is the third striker position alongside Benzema and Vinicius Jr. with Ancelotti stating Rodrygo could start, but he may opt for the more defensive minded Valverde to counter Liverpool’s threat down the flanks.
- Predicted Real Madrid Team – 4-3-3 – Courtois. Carvajal, Mendy, Alaba, Eder Militao, Kroos, Casemiro, Modric, Vinicius Jr, Valverde, Benzema.
Pick Up A Free £5 Bet On The Champions League Final With Bet365!
Stop Press! If you are a new or eligible customer with the bet365 Sport site, then you may well have a completely free, no deposit required £5 bet available for you to use on the Champions League Final!
To access your free £5 Champions League Final bet, log in to your account and then add a single or bet builder betting selection from the Champions League Final markets available to your bet slip.
Then, on the bet slip select the option to use your Free £5 bet and then place the bet, it really is that simple!
Champions League Final £5 Free Bet
Enjoy a £5 Free Bet on Liverpool v Real Madrid with bet365.
No deposit required. New & eligible customers only. Account must be fully verified to place the bet. Applies to single bets and Bet Builders only. Returns exclude Free Bet stake. T&Cs apply.
Who Will Win The Champions League Final?
You can make very solid cases for both teams winning this game.
Real Madrid have history on their side, they’ve not lost a Champions League Final since 1981, they have had a series of incredible results in the Knockout Phase which makes it feel like their name may already be etched on the trophy, their squad is packed with experience and talent and they have a manager in Carlo Ancelotti who has beaten Liverpool in the Champions League Final before.
On the flip side of that, this Liverpool side has been beaten just three times in all competitions this season, never by more than a single goal. The Reds squad is every bit as talented as Real Madrid and in some cases, is stronger. They have a burning desire to put right their 3-1 defeat in the 2018 final, when Mo Salah was injured early in the game and Loris Karis handed Real two goals, plus they are the last team to beat Real in a Champions League final, which also occurred in Paris in 1981.
In these cases, it is hard to pick a winner, but I think in terms of team strength, Liverpool just have the edge, which is why I have made the following picks for this game.
- Full Time Result – Liverpool win – 21/20
- Full Time Result & BTTS – Liverpool & Yes – 11/4
- Correct Score – Liverpool 2-1 Real Madrid – 8/1
- Anytime Goalscorer – Sadio Mane – 7/4
- Bet365 Bet Boost Pick – Mo Salah to score anytime, Liverpool to lift the trophy, Over 9 corners in the match combined – boosted from 4/1 to 6/1.