This is certainly what current football can offer us most enticing. Liverpool and Real Madrid meet this Saturday evening (9 p.m.) in the Champions League final. A prestigious match of which it is impossible to predict the outcome and which takes place at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, under close surveillance.
Winning the Champions League, the most prestigious trophy for a European club, is more than just a consolation. It would be the culmination of a memorable season for both teams. For the fireworks, tens of thousands of fans are expected in Paris, which has not seen such a surge of supporters since Euro-2016. A total of 6,800 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters are mobilized by the Paris police headquarters to ensure the security of the match, which promises a great show on the ground.
Under the baton of their emblematic coach Jürgen Klopp, the Reds have dazzled this season, from the efficiency of attackers Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah to the defensive solidity embodied by Virgil Van Dijk. They can seal a hat-trick in Saint-Denis with the League Cup and the FA Cup. Only the Premier League escaped them, by one point, in favor of Manchester City.
For their part, the people of Madrid have signed a course rich in emotions, with two “remontadas” against PSG (in 8th) and Manchester City (in half) which enriched their legend. They also eliminated defending champion Chelsea in the quarters. They also have a major asset: Karim Benzema, author of 44 goals in 45 matches this season, including 15 in the Champions League. The French delivered the best season of his immense career and embodies the strength of character of a club that has run in the C1 (13 titles, record), led by an equally experienced coach (5 C1 including three as a technician, record).