They say familiarity breeds
apathy. That once something becomes routine, the sparkle wares off. It becomes
mundane. For some, this explains why 2,000 tickets for this weekend's Champions
League final were handed back by Real Madrid fans. After all, this will be the
club's fourth final in five years. It'd be understandable if some were
apathetic about the whole thing by now.
Liverpool, on the other hand, are
appearing in their first Champions League final in 11 years. Not since the
defeat to AC Milan in Athens have the Reds had a shot at being crowned kings of
Europe. Their fans have scrambled to Kiev, by planes, trains and automobiles,
with thousands expected to arrive in the Ukrainian capital without tickets.
All this suggests Jurgen Klopp's
side should be the hungrier of the two this Saturday. But one would be
incorrect to presume this. If Zinedine Zidane has instilled one character trait
in his Real Madrid team over the past three seasons, it's hunger. This is a
team that revels in its own relentlessness.
"I can't talk for the
opponents, but we always have the same desire as we always do and nobody can
say we don't," Zidane highlighted in an interview ahead of this weekend's
Champions League final. "We're in a third final and we have the chance to
do something historic and win it three times in a row. You can't say Liverpool
have more hunger than us; it simply isn't true. Nobody can take our hunger away
from us. We're Real Madrid ... we always want more and will always give our all
to get more."
In Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio
Ramos, as well as Zidane in the dugout, Real Madrid have leaders who set a
certain precedent. Real Madrid is a club defined by its glittering success,
particularly in Europe, and with that comes a drive, a determination. There
won't even be a hint of apathy in Real's performance against Liverpool.
This isn't the only thing that
makes Real Madrid favourites to claim yet another Champions League title. Their
run to this season's final, especially contrasted with that of Liverpool's,
underlines their quality and hints at the aura this team now has in European
competition. Zidane's side could hardly have had it any tougher.
Liverpool saw off Manchester City
in impressive fashion in the quarter finals, but besides that the Reds have
been handed a favourable draw in almost every round. In the group stages, they
were paired with Sevilla, Spartak Moscow and Maribor. Real Madrid, on the other
hand, had Borussia Dortmund and Spurs in their group.
In the last 16, Liverpool blew
away a vulnerable Porto side without any fuss. Once again, Real Madrid were
handed the far tougher draw, paired with Paris Saint-Germain. At the time, the
French side were the tournament's top scorers and many peoples' favourites to
win the whole thing. Many saw PSG as on the brink of a Champions League
breakthrough and yet Real found a way to halt them.
In the quarters, Real Madrid also
faced Juventus, last season's Champions League runners-up, before coming up
against Bayern Munich in the semis. In contrast, Liverpool only had to progress
past a Roma side who looked like conceding every time they were forced back
into their own half.
With this tricky route to the final has come an irrepressible determination. To get this far having seen off so many top calibre sides, sides that could have gone on to win the Champions League themselves this season, has battle hardened Real Madrid. Liverpool haven't faced a team like this on their run to the final. This will be a new experience for them and one that could overwhelm them.
Most accurate soccer prediction website in the World...
