Real Madrid and Liverpool will host the final of the 67th edition of the Champions League this Saturday at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis (Greater Paris).
The Spanish club, which has won the most in the most important European competition, is fighting for its 14th conquest. The Englishman tries to lift the cup for the seventh time and equal Milan as the second biggest winner.
There are Brazilian attractions on both sides.
Real has defender Éder Militão, left-back Marcelo, midfielder Casemiro and forwards Rodrygo and VinÃcius Jr.
Liverpool are defended by goalkeeper Alisson, midfielder Fabinho and striker Roberto Firmino.
Some of them have a leading role at this point, others not so much.
Do you know how each of them arrives at the decision, whether in great shape or not, as a holder or as a bank option? If not, find out now.
Real Madrid
VinÃcius Jr., Casemiro and Militão are starters. Rodrygo and Marcelo, reserves.
The 21-year-old left winger, ex-Flamengo, is having his best season.
In the Spanish Championship, Vini Jr. scored 17 goals and provided ten assists (goal passes). In the Champions League there were three and six respectively.
Thanks to him, Frenchman Benzema shone intensely this season and is the favorite to win the next awards for best player in the world.
Vini Jr. He is one of the fastest and most skilful strikers of our time and, having improved his finishing, which was his weak point, he has everything to be a key player in a possible Merengue conquest in France.
Level of importance: very high.
Casemiro, 30, who is the holder of the Brazilian team, plays for the fourth Champions League. He won from 2016 to 2018, forming the midfield with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.
One of the best cracks in the industry this century will be back together now, and Casemiro plays a key role.
Croatian Modric is 36 years old, Germany’s Kroos is 32 years old, and the physical side could be a problem for them, which will make the number 14 have to run more than usual if necessary.
In addition, the former São Paulo player shoots well from long distance and is dangerous in headers, which makes him hopeful of goals in free kicks and corners.
Level of importance: very high.
Éder Militão, 24, like Casemiro, defended São Paulo before migrating to the Spanish giants (in 2019). Only this season, under the leadership of Carlo Ancelotti, has he secured a captive spot among the holders.
The coach trusts him, and the retribution has been satisfactory, however the athlete is not 100% reliable, with some positioning flaws that, if repeated in the decision, can be compromising.
Importance level: high.
Rodrygo is Real Madrid’s amulet.
He will always be remembered as the player who in 90 seconds, at the very end of the second half of the semi-final against Manchester City, scored two goals that saved the team from elimination and gave the impetus for the spot in the Champions League decision to come.
Even with all this star, it is almost certain that the ex-Santista will start in the reserve of Uruguayan Valverde, but with a great chance of entering, especially if the match is complicated for the Madrid team.
Level of importance: medium.
Marcelo, 34, I thought the other day, is sort of an active ex-player.
Starter of the Brazilian team in the 2014 and 2018 World Cups, one of the best left-backs I’ve ever seen, he has since 2019 found it difficult to play regularly for Real.
Eight years younger, with more breath and more defensive strength, Frenchman Mendy left him in reserve. On the bench, Marcelo has been one of the liveliest fans, celebrating goals with effusiveness.
Thus, it is not likely that the offspring of Fluminense, one of the great idols of Real Madrid this century – he has been in the team since 2006 and has won four Champions League and six Spanish – will take the field against Liverpool.
Importance level: low.
Liverpool
Alisson and Fabinho are starters, and Roberto Firmino has been a reserve.
Former International, with a stint at Roma, the goalkeeper who wears the inscription “A. Becker” on the back of his kit, emphasizing his surname (what’s the reason?), is among the best in the world – on the Real side there is another of these, the Belgian Courtois.
I even consider it a little strange that Tite, the coach of the Brazilian national team, gave last year so many opportunities to Ederson (Manchester City), whom I see as less competent than Alisson.
The gaucho is very secure under the posts and has good control of the ball when leaving the game. In fact, if something matters in the final, it is not neglecting this second item.
Alisson, 29, will need extra care in replacements, as Liverpool lost the Champions League to Real in 2018, largely because their then goalkeeper made a mistake and “gave” the first goal of the game to Benzema.
Level of importance: very high.
Fabinho, 28, only arrived at Liverpool in the middle of 2018, so he did not participate in the defeat to Real in the final that year.
Few know that the former right-back, now a midfielder, whose career began at Fluminense, played for the Madrid team in 2012/13, playing a single match for the A team.
He was recently injured but has trained this week and, barring a surprise, will play in Saint-Denis.
For me, the midfielder, whom coach Jürgen Klopp is very fond of (and Tite too, as he is Casemiro’s backup in the national team), does not inspire great confidence.
I’ve seen him many times miss easy passes and be late on the mark. In a Champions League final, that’s a huge risk.
I bite my tongue and he can have a perfect game and, if Liverpool are deserving, lift the cup once again – he started in the win over Tottenham in 2019.
Importance level: high.
Firmino, 30, scorer of the Reds’ goal in the Club World Cup final against Flamengo two and a half years ago, had injury problems this season and will most likely be a reserve against Real.
Liverpool’s attack will have Salah, Mané and Diego Jota (or Luis DÃaz).
Firmino is the next option, and there is a high chance that Klopp will turn to the Brazilian in the second half, or in an eventual extra time, due to his experience and ability to return to accurately distribute the game to the fastest forwards.
Level of importance: medium.
In time: Liverpool have another Brazilian in their squad, the young goalkeeper Marcelo Pitaluga, 19, ex-Fluminense, who for now only played for the under-23 team. His importance in the 2022 Chanpions League decision is none, as he will not enter her field.
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