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It’s almost here. The countdown to the 2018 UEFA Champions League final is in its final stages and this year the anticipation could not be any higher. Kiev better brace itself, because when Real Madrid and Liverpool clash on Saturday evening, there’s sure to be fireworks.<\/strong><\/p>\n We know it’ll be an exciting, enthralling and electric final. We know there’s a good chance the match won’t finish goalless. We know there’s history to be made. But what we don’t know \u2013 for certain, anyway \u2013 is exactly what will happen. But we can always guess. So, without further adieu…<\/p>\n I’m with esteemed football writer Jonathan Wilson, who has argued that Real Madrid are a giant “sleep-walking into a hammering.”<\/p>\n I’m a born and bred Scouser and a big Liverpool fan, so forgive me for any perceived bias,\u00a0but I just think Real won’t know what’s hit them. Lots of teams press but Liverpool are on a different level. Mohamed Salah and Sadio Man\u00e9 are clocked as two of the top even fastest players in European football and it’s the Gegenpress that creates the chances rather than our more functional midfield. Marcelo will go walkabout, Sergio Ramos will push up too high and dive in too much, while Cristiano Ronaldo will get frustrated by a lack of service.<\/p>\n This is the end of the road for this great Real side but now the youngest, quickest and hungriest team they will have played will bring down the curtain on their regal rein. Exuberance triumphs over experience.<\/p>\n Score: <\/strong>Real Madrid 0-4 Liverpool Real are the dream opposition for Liverpool \u2013 ageing, slow, over-confident. Madrid may have the experience in finals like these but Liverpool will have the hunger. There will undoubtedly be some early jitters and the occasion might get to some of the Liverpool players (as it did in the first 20 minutes of the first leg against Roma) but when they get their first chance they will quickly see how easy it is to get at Madrid\u2019s defence.<\/p>\n Many of Liverpool\u2019s games are won in the middle of the pitch, where a dynamic trio dispossess their opposite numbers, and get it to that forward three at pace. Injuries mean they are without linchpin midfielders Emre Can and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain while Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Casemiro will prove to be the hardest opposition Klopp’s side have come up against. So, it will be up to Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum, and the competition\u2019s leader for assists, James Milner, to control the game.<\/p>\n I expect a high-scoring match but those who doubt Liverpool\u2019s defensive qualities should re-watch the performances of Dejan Lovren and Trent Alexander-Arnold\u2019s against Manchester City in the quarter-final at the Etihad.<\/p>\n Score:\u00a0<\/strong>Real Madrid 2-3 Liverpool The final takes place at Kiev’s\u00a0Olimpiyskiy stadium on Saturday at 19:45 (GMT)<\/p><\/div>\n Liverpool have all the tools to stop Real Madrid but there\u2019s something about Zinedine Zidane\u2019s side in these finals that makes them seem unstoppable.<\/p>\n Call it experience, call it genuine star quality, call it luck, call it whatever you want \u2013 there\u2019s just something about them that has me believing that, especially if it goes beyond the 90 minutes, it\u2019s they who pull through. I have been lucky enough to have attended the last two finals so I have seen this in action.<\/p>\n But, on a more practical note, I believe it’ll be Real\u2019s strength in depth that will prove a decisive factor. After all, however Zidane chooses to line up his side in Kiev, he\u2019ll have numerous options on the bench. One of Gareth Bale, Isco or Marco Asensio (or even all three) could be left out of the starting XI. Klopp doesn\u2019t have that luxury and the more this incredibly high-octane, end-of-season game wears on, the more likely it is that fresh legs make the difference.<\/p>\n Score: <\/strong>Real Madrid 3-2 Liverpool (AET) Much has been said about Real Madrid’s weaknesses and, in particular, how Marcelo marauding forward would afford space to Liverpool’s key threat, Mohamed Salah. But I don\u2019t think a team that has got itself to the final for a chance to win its third consecutive UEFA Champions League title could be that tactically naive.<\/p>\n Admittedly, I looked at Madrid against Bayern Munich and thought it to be promising for Liverpool and in the final Marcelo may well find himself out of position. However, I think mental strength will be a deciding factor and, given that Liverpool were rocked several times against Roma, I can see that coming to the fore again.<\/span><\/p>\n Score: <\/strong>Real Madrid 2-1 Liverpool Cristiano Ronaldo is aiming to win his fifth UEFA Champions League title<\/p><\/div>\n Being a Liverpool fan, I have to have faith in the Redmen to bring home that trophy even if my head says Real Madrid will win.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Given their experience in winning this competition over recent years and considering the players they have at their disposal, it’s hard look past the Spanish giants for a third straight title. Having said that, on our day, we can beat anyone and there can be no bigger or better occasion to prove that than this one. People talk up Liverpool’s powerful attacking trio but its that leaky back line that will have to prove itself in limiting the damage caused by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo. I think that, should the game go to extra time, Liverpool may run out of steam with their high-pressure tactics. Real’s greater strength in depth will also play a key role in swinging the balance.<\/p>\n Score: <\/strong>Real Madrid 3-2 Liverpool If you\u2019re looking for a defensive battle, this isn\u2019t the match for you. Expect both teams to constantly press, setting us neutrals up to enjoy a free-scoring affair. I\u2019m a firm believer in the intangibles, with experience being top of the list.<\/p>\n I can\u2019t see Liverpool being intimidated by the occasion, but when that whistle blows, they’ll line up opposite the side who have reigned over this competition for three of the last four years. That will bring a certain confidence to Real and will put them up early, making this less of a competitive match than most would want.<\/p>\n Score:\u00a0<\/strong>Real Madrid 4-2 Liverpool. So, that’s what we think will go down in Kiev.\u00a0But what do you think? Send us your predictions by getting in touch via our\u00a0Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0and Instagram<\/a>\u00a0pages!<\/strong><\/p>\n
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<\/h2>\nDan Jamieson,\u00a0CEO<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nMan of the Match:\u00a0<\/strong>Sir Bobby of Firmino.
\nRandom prediction:\u00a0<\/strong>After Madrid lose, they spend the summer trying to buy their conquerors.<\/p>\n
\nBen Soley,\u00a0Sales and Marketing Manager<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\nMan of the Match:\u00a0<\/strong>James Milner.
\nRandom prediction:\u00a0<\/strong>Marcelo will misplace a pass that leads directly to a goal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/GettyImages-958347914-1024x691.jpg\"){kind=icon}
\n\nAlistair Hunter,\u00a0Senior Editor<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\nMan of the Match:\u00a0<\/strong>Cristiano Ronaldo.
\nRandom prediction:\u00a0<\/strong>Ronaldo will win and convert a first half penalty.<\/p>\n\n
\nJames Tildesley,\u00a0Head of New Business<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\nMan of the Match:\u00a0<\/strong>Luka Modric.
\nRandom prediction:\u00a0<\/strong>Marcelo provides either the assist or a key pass for a Real goal while also being at fault for a Liverpool goal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.icons.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/GettyImages-535011060-1024x682.jpg\"){kind=icon}
Jamie White,\u00a0Social Media Producer<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\nMan of the Match:\u00a0<\/strong>Luka Modric.
\nRandom prediction:\u00a0<\/strong>(Not so random) Dejan Lovren will drop a howler.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
\nScott Hutchison, US Partner<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nMan of the Match:\u00a0<\/strong>Can it really be anyone other than Cristiano Ronaldo?
\nRandom prediction:\u00a0<\/strong>Chelsea showed that if you smother Mo Salah, you smother and ultimately stop Liverpool. He may get his goal but expect the Egyptian’s possession overall to be very limited.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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