WHO WILL BE CROWNED THE KINGS OF EUROPE Real Madrid will take on Spanish rivals Atletico Madrid in a historic Champions League final at Estadio da Luz in Lisbon on Saturday. The encounter will mark the first time in European Cup history that two sides from the same city square off for the title, while there are also individual club records on the line, most notably the Galacticos bid for a 10th continental crown. The Spanish giants already hold the record for most successes in the competition, having lifted the coveted trophy on nine separate occasions, although La Decima would go down in the books as one of the greatest-ever club achievements. However, it has been 12 years since their last Champions League title win, although, having put to bed a run of three straight semi-final exits, the belief at the Bernabeu is at an all-time high. The capital side are also hoping to add to their Copa del Rey success earlier this term when they saw off fierce rivals Barcelona in the final, with the title coming as some consolation when looking at their failed La Liga campaign, which saw them finish third. For Atletico, this weekends tie represents the chance to secure a famous double, having already lifted the Primera Liga title on the final day of the 2013/14 season, their first league success since 1996. They have, however, never tasted glory in Europes premier club cup competition, with a runners-up finish behind Bayern Munich in 1974 the closest they have come, although they do know a thing or two about success at continental level, having won the Europa League in 2010 and 2012. In team news, Xabi Alonso was dealt a cruel blow in Real Madrids semi-final win over Bayern Munich as he picked up a yellow card which prevents his inclusion in this weekends showpiece event through suspension. That means manager Carlo Ancelotti will need to choose between either Sami Khedira or Asier Illarramendi to fill in the void. Pepe and Karim Benzema add to the Madrid boss concerns, with the pair expected to miss the encounter through injury. That would mean a reshuffle of Madrids stellar striker partnership of Benzema, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo, and reports suggest Alvaro Morata could be thrown in at the deep end, having previously started just one match in European competition. Atletico, meanwhile, have been furiously working on the fitness of star striker Diego Costa, with the Brazilian currently struggling with a hamstring strain and rated as a major doubt for the tie. That means Diego Simeone is likely to call on Adrian as a replacement, while captain Gabi is expected to continue his dominant performances in Europe, having averaged the most tackles in the competition this term.
Posted on: Fri, 23 May 2014 17:58:55 +0000
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