Your UEFA Champions League 2022 guide

If you are a lover of professional sports, the chances are there’s just one fixture on your mind this week – the UEFA Champions League. The biggest, most popular, and best-followed club football competition in Europe, the Champions League final, will be played on Saturday 28th May with a 20:00 GMT start time. The match will be played between English Premier League runners up Liverpool, and Spanish La Liga champions Real Madrid at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris.

The game will be played before a capacity crowd featuring sports lovers, cooperate sponsors, friends and family of the players, as well as the supporters of both Liverpool and Real Madrid. The numbers inside the stadium will be dwarfed by the millions watching the match worldwide on television and through live streaming apps. This promises to be a fantastic advert for football and a celebration of all things European sports. It’s a match you simply can’t afford to miss.

Fans have cleared their schedule, allowing them to watch the action without distraction. They are also putting the finishing touches to their predictions, choosing the team they expect to win the match and the players they believe will shine brightest. They then back those predictions at the top Vegas sports betting apps, and you can join them today.

Before confirming your picks and the team you believe will win this weekend’s Champions League, it’s important you have all the important information at your fingertips. That’s where we aim to come in handy. Read on as we bring you up to speed on the 2022 Champions League final, the form of both teams, head to head stats and which side the experts believe will finish holding the trophy aloft.

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Head to head stats

Liverpool and Real Madrid rank among the most successful clubs globally, with the teams already enjoying plenty of success in this competition over the years. The Reds and Blancos have met eight times previously in competitive action, and the head to head stats suggest we are in for another tight, hard-fought game of football.

Real Madrid currently enjoy the lion’s share of wins with four victories against the three of Liverpool, with one game ending in a draw. The Spaniards have also enjoyed much success in recent games, remaining unbeaten in each of their last five meetings with Liverpool. That purple period consists of four wins and a draw, with the spare coming in the form of a goalless finish last time.

Interestingly, Real Madrid have beaten Liverpool 3-1 in two of the last three matches involving the teams. Followers of the stats may be interested to learn that, and more than a few are expected to support the Spaniards to nail down another 3-1 win. A victory of any description would be welcomed by all connected to Madrid, but fans would dearly love to see their heroes do it in style.

Liverpool’s most recent win over Real Madrid came back in 2009 when easing to a 4-0 victory at Anfield. The goals that day were scored by Fernando Torres, Andrea Dossena and a double from Steven Gerrard. Having claimed a 1-0 win in Spain the game before, Liverpool progressed with a stunning 5-0 aggregate score that season. They are unlikely to enjoy such a comfortable margin in this renewal, but Liverpool fans hold high hopes of seeing their team win the Champions League trophy once again.

Semi-final results

It’s worth taking a brief glance at how both teams performed in the semi-finals, as it may offer clues as to how they will approach Saturday’s decider.

Liverpool booked their place in the Champions League final with a stunning 5-2 aggregate win over Villarreal, who had won the Europa League the season before. The Reds claimed a 2-0 win in England before snatching a 3-2 in Spain to progress.

Real Madrid’s game in the last four was every bit as exciting and dramatic as their opponent’s. They beat English Premier League champions Manchester City 6-5 on aggregate in the best semi-final match you are ever likely to see. If the final can live up to the hype of that game, then armchair fans are ready for something special.