Having to leave the field of play 30 minutes into the 2018 UEFA Champions League final still plays on the mind of Mohamed Salah. The Liverpool ace did not have much say versus Real Madrid but four years later he is determined to make amends.
Four years ago, Real Madrid beat Liverpool 3-1 in Kyiv as Zinedine Zidane’s men clinched an historic third successive Champions League title. Mo Salah was substituted with a shoulder injury inflicted by a kerfuffle with Sergio Ramos, and the Egyptian’s departure hindered Liverpool’s chances on the night.
Liverpool did gain redemption one year later when they defeated Tottenham in the 2019 final, and Klopp got his hands on a first piece of silverware since taking over at Anfield four years earlier, but the Reds are still out for revenge on Real for that one-sided battle in the Ukrainian capital.
Come Saturday, Salah will be looking to impose his demeanour in Paris as Liverpool and Real Madrid reconvene for a repeat of the 2018 final lineup, although both teams are significantly different to how they looked in that particular final. Three of Liverpool’s starters from that night are no longer part of Jurgen Klopp’s group, and all of his seven substitutes from 26 May 2018 are also no longer at the club.
Emre Can, Adam Lallana, Alberto Moreno, Simon Mignolet, Nathaniel Clyne, Dejan Lovren, Dom Solanke and Ragnar Klavan were all shipped out and replaced with players of higher quality. Alisson, Fabinho, Naby Keita, Thiago, Diogo Jota, Ibrahima Konate and Luis Diaz have signed on Merseyside since summer 2018 with Klopp transforming his group into a truly world-class outfit.
Paris awaits ✊#UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/4y9YYZiJNW
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) May 26, 2022
Real have undergone personnel changes of their own, losing out on three giants in Ramos, Cristiano Ronaldo and Raphael Varane. Ronaldo is a five-time UCL winner while Ramos captained Los Blancos to four European quests and was responsible for Salah’s injury in Kiev.
A handful of young players have been brought to the Santiago Bernabéu in recent years, such as Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, Eder Militão and Ferland Mendy. Luka Jović and Eden Hazard also signed in Madrid in 2019, though both have by no means showed returns on their investments.
📋✅ Our squad for the #UCL FINAL!#APorLa14 pic.twitter.com/SjX2zF0jWS
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) May 26, 2022
Salah has scored 31 goals this term, including eight in the Champions League and 23 in the Premier League which was enough to land the Egyptian a third Golden Boot accolade. Salah’s opposite number Karim Benzema is also in red-hot form with 44 goals in 45 games and the French striker also scooped the top scorer award domestically. Benzema has scored a competition-high 15 goals in the Champions League and is two goals shy of Ronaldo’s record of 17 goals in a UCL campaign.
Real have unquestionably faced a tougher path to Paris, facing the trio of PSG, Chelsea and Manchester City – all of whom have been UCL finalists in the past three years – all while Liverpool saw off Inter Milan, Benfica and Villarreal to reach their 10th European final. Real have lost just three of 16 European finals.
At kick-off on Saturday evening, the spotlight will be on Salah who is adamant to make up for his shortcomings in Ukraine four years ago.
