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Liverpool eye revenge against Real Madrid in Champions League final rematch
By Derrick Bangura
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool is seeking to cap a remarkable season by avenging their 2018 defeat against Real Madrid when the sides meet again in the Champions League final in Paris on Saturday, but the Spanish giants have their sights on a 14th European Cup triumph.
It is Liverpool’s third Champions League final in five seasons after they followed their 3-1 loss to Real in Kyiv by beating Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid a year later, and they are widely seen as slight favorites at the Stade de France to become kings of Europe for the seventh time.
That would put them level with AC Milan, with only Saturday’s opponents having won the trophy more often, and it would allow the Anfield club to finish the campaign with a treble after they lifted the English League Cup and FA Cup.
“Winning trophies, there is no better feeling,” admitted Liverpool’s Andy Robertson this week.
For a long time, an unprecedented quadruple was on, but Klopp’s side fell just short in the Premier League, finishing a point behind Manchester City.
“Without the Champions League, it would be a great season. With the Champions League it would be a fantastic season,” said Klopp.
It has already been a memorable few years for Klopp’s side following their loss in Kyiv, when Mohamed Salah was forced off injured in the first half, Lorius Karius endured a nightmare in goal, and Gareth Bale’s brilliance won the trophy for Real.
“I think it is revenge time,” Salah, scorer of 31 goals this season, admitted recently.
Liverpool appears well placed given how much they have strengthened since 2018, chiefly in goal with the arrival of Alisson, while Thiago Alcantara has been a standout in midfield.
Ancelotti targets number four
The problem is that you could be forgiven for thinking that Real’s name is on the cup, as it has been so many times before.
While Liverpool saw off Inter Milan, Benfica, and Villarreal in the knockout rounds, it is easy to forget now that Carlo Ancelotti’s Real side lost at home to Sheriff Tiraspol in the group stage, such has been their extraordinary run since.
They were 2-0 down on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 before a Karim Benzema hat-trick in 17 second-half minutes in the second leg took them through.
Against Chelsea in the quarter-finals, they scored late at home in the return leg to force extra time before Benzema got their winner.
The best was saved for the semi-final against Manchester City when they went into the 90th minute of the second leg needing two goals just to force extra time. They duly got them, and Benzema then struck the winner.
The 34-year-old Frenchman now leads Madrid into the final in his home country after a campaign in which he has scored 44 goals, with 15 in Europe and 27 on their run to the Spanish title.
Benzema will surely be nailed on to win the Ballon d’Or if his club triumphs in Paris, where victory would also help Real supporters get over Kylian Mbappe’s decision to snub them.
Madrid is chasing their fifth Champions League in nine seasons, a run that began when they beat Atletico Madrid in Lisbon in 2014.
Benzema was in that team, as was Luka Modric, while Ancelotti was the coach in his first spell in charge.
The veteran Italian can now become the first coach to win the Champions League four times, having also triumphed with AC Milan in 2003 and 2007.
Security operation
The latter victory came against Liverpool and was revenge for the Anfield club’s win over Ancelotti’s Milan in Istanbul in 2005.
“Playing a final with them is something special. They have won six Champions Leagues, and if they reach seven they would go level with Milan, so I have extra motivation to win this final,” smiled Ancelotti, who had a spell as boss of Liverpool’s local rivals Everton before returning to Madrid.
This will be the third final between the clubs, who also met in Paris in 1981 — then the English side was victorious thanks to Alan Kennedy’s goal at the Parc des Princes.
This final was not supposed to be played here, but Paris stepped in after UEFA stripped Saint-Petersburg of the game following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
A crowd of 80,000 will fill the Stade de France, with 20,000 fans of each team officially in attendance.
Around 40,000 more Liverpool fans are expected to travel to Paris without tickets, however, and around seven thousand police will be on duty as part of a massive security operation.
President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday arrived in Katsina to receive the remains of the former President Muhammadu Buhari, who passed away in London on Sunday at the age of 82.
Just hours before the burial of former President Muhammadu Buhari, heartfelt tributes have continued to pour in from beneficiaries of his many charitable deeds, with many describing him as a man who never turned his back on the needy.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday, Aminu Daura, a respected community elder, recalled how Buhari consistently provided foodstuffs during Ramadan for families, friends, widows, and orphans in his hometown.
“He never made noise about it, but many homes had food on their tables during fasting period because of him,” Daura said.
Abdullahi Sani, a physically-challenged man who received a tricycle from the Buhari Foundation in 2021, was overcome with emotion while speaking to NAN.
“I can move around and feed my family today because of Baba Buhari. I pray to Allah to reward him for giving hope to people like me,” he said, in tears.
Hajiya Fatima Yahaya, another resident, remembered Buhari’s acts of kindness during festive seasons.
“Even after he left office, his aides ensured that the usual support still reached us every year. He always remember his people,” she said, referring to his distribution of Sallah rams and food items to indigent families during Eid celebrations.
Other residents of Daura also shared memories of how the late former president quietly paid school fees and medical bills for struggling families, actions rarely publicized.
“Some of us benefited from his silent interventions. He was a true father and a great figure in the society,” said Ali Saidu.
On Monday night, Imams across various mosques in Daura held special Qur’anic recitations, praying for the forgiveness of Buhari’s sins and his eternal peace.
The Chief Imam of Daura Central Mosque, Sheikh Musa Kofar Barau, described Buhari as a humble leader whose legacy of service and compassion would remain alive in the hearts of the people.
Buhari is scheduled to be buried later on Tuesday in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State, in line with Islamic rites. The community is bracing to welcome thousands of mourners from across Nigeria and beyond.
His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco has extended heartfelt condolences to President Bola Tinubu, the family of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, and the entire Nigerian people following Buhari’s death.
In a message of sympathy, the Moroccan monarch described the passing of the former Nigerian leader as a “sad occurrence,” expressing deep sorrow over the loss.
King Mohammed VI hailed Buhari as “an illustrious leader who worked untiringly to serve his country’s best interests and lead his people toward further progress and prosperity.”
He added: “Our thoughts and prayers are with you and the bereaved. I share your grief and want you to know how much I appreciated the working sessions I had with the deceased.”
Reflecting on their bilateral engagements, the king noted that his collaboration with Buhari led to the launch of promising development projects, “ushering a new era grounded in friendship and close cooperation between our two sister nations.”
Tinubu arrives Katsina to receive Buhari’s body for burial
“He Never Turned His Back on the Needy” — Tributes Pour In Ahead of Buhari’s Burial
King Mohammed VI Mourns Buhari, Praises Legacy of Nigeria’s Former Leader
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