UCL: Who can stop Vinicius ? Will Salah come to duty, will Benzema score? Battles that will today’s final

Liverpool and Real Madrid meet once again in Saturday night’s final and it is a classic match-up. 

With the two sides knowing each other well from their previous encounter in the 2017/18 Champions League final, and their meeting last season, the fixture promises to be an exciting affair.

Madrid's fresh legs to give reds the runaround?

Real Madrid have not played a competitive match of significance for three and a half weeks. Liverpool have been foot to the floor in pursuit of four trophies. Real clinched La Liga with a 4-0 win over Espanyol on April 30. They then beat Manchester City in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final a few days later.

Stars of the Champions League final: Andy Robertson

Liverpool will hope their flying full-back exacts revenge on Real Madrid in Paris.

Carlo Ancelotti has been using his stars in dead rubbers since then but it remains to be seen whether they can get their competitive juices flowing again against a Liverpool team who have been at full tilt in every game.

Liverpool left back Andy Robertson said yesterday: ‘They have had a relaxed preparation and have been able to play at a lesser tempo. We wanted to fight for everything and it’s been hard on our bodies but we are in the best shape.’

Will Salah light up a big final at last?

Without doubt, Salah remains Liverpool’s most dangerous player. Despite the contributions of Luis Diaz, Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota this season, the Egyptian is the forward in the Liverpool ranks who Real will worry about the most. 

Having left the field injured in the 2018 loss to Real, Salah scored an early penalty against Spurs a year later. But he was not able to hit his peak in either game and comes into this one short of form.

Watching Salah come on as a substitute last Sunday against Wolves was to see a snapshot of his recent issues. For once in his career, Salah seems to lack a little confidence. But he still managed to score.

Can Trent cope with the Flying Brazilian?

Of all the problems Real caused City in their incredible semi-final, nobody presented more than winger Vinicius Jnr. Only 21, the Brazilian is raw but his speed and directness make him a dangerous weapon.

On Saturday the marking job falls to Trent Alexander-Arnold. Questions have been asked of Alexander-Arnold’s defending and Vinicius troubled him when Liverpool lost in Madrid in last season’s quarter-final.

Former Liverpool and Real winger Steve McManaman said this week: ‘It’s an area Real can exploit because Trent likes to go forward. Liverpool will have to watch that ball into space.’

Alexander-Arnold said: ‘There will be battles all over the pitch. We have a game plan.’

Will Benzema keep his prolific run going?

The Frenchman will play in front of a home crowd who continue to be split over him. What is not in doubt is the impact he has had on this competition. 

The Real striker has scored 15 goals in the Champions League this season, including hat-tricks against Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea and two in that see-saw first leg game against City at the Etihad.

So Benzema’s form is sensational but whether he can carry that threat when up against a central defender of the calibre of Virgil van Dijk is another matter. Benzema, 34, can run hot and cold and Van Dijk’s regular defensive partner Joel Matip said this week: ‘We have faced a lot of good players in the past and we will try to defend him as a team. It is nothing to be afraid of. We are prepared.’

Is Bayern's move for Mane a distraction?

Jurgen Klopp was sanguine about this. ‘It’s not the first time before a deciding game for me that Bayern Munich have come up,’ he said with a raised eyebrow. 

‘I am not sure why that happens but no problem at all. Wherever Sadio plays next season he will be a big player. Definitely.’ Mane has been cryptic about his future in the past few days and we can be sure Klopp is not as relaxed about the intentions of one of his star players as he makes out. 

But the thing about footballers is that they are capable of putting things like this to the backs of their minds and playing as though their lives depend on it.

Mane is a free and natural footballer and also a ferocious competitor. It would be a huge surprise if he didn’t bring his best to this game.

Are Liverpool better than when Real beat them in 2017/18? 

Yes, without a doubt. There was a telling comment from Klopp this week when talking about Salah, injured in that game. ‘We couldn’t replace him that night,’ he said.

In Kyiv, Adam Lallana came on for the Egyptian while the other substitute that night as they chased the game was Emre Can for James Milner. These days, Liverpool’s attacking reserves are much deeper.

Jota, Diaz and Roberto Firmino would be certain starters in most teams in Europe. ‘You have to learn to win,’ said Klopp . ‘But the boys have developed enormously in the last years.’

It is hard to disagree.