JAVIER SORIANO/AFP via Getty Images
Premier League side Liverpool and La Liga side Real Madrid will meet in the 2022 UEFA Champions League final on May 28 after defeating Villarreal and Manchester City, respectively, in the second leg of the semifinals this week.
It marks the first time since 2018 that the two sides will meet in the Champions League final, and the Reds will be looking to avenge a 3-1 loss to Los Blancos while also aiming to win their first title since 2019.
That said, let’s take a look at both clubs’ semifinal victories, as well as who oddsmakers are favoring to win the title.
Odds to Win Title
Liverpool -110
Draw: +250
Real Madrid: +295
Odds via DraftKings.
2021-22 Champions League Top Scorers
1. Karim Benzema, Real Madrid: 15 goals
2. Robert Lewandowski, Bayern Munich: 13 goals
3. Sebastien Haller, Ajax: 11 goals
4. Mohamed Salah, Liverpool: 8 goals
5. Christopher Nkunku, RB Leipzig: 7 goals
T6. Kylian Mbappe, Paris Saint-Germain: 6 goals
T6. Darwin Nunez, Benfica: 6 goals
T6. Christiano Ronaldo, Manchester United: 6 goals
T6. Arnaut Danjuma, Villarreal: 6 goals
T6. Leroy Sane, Bayern Munich: 6 goals
T6. Riyad Mahrez, Manchester City: 6 goals
Full list available at UEFA.com.
Liverpool entered the second leg of its semifinal matchup against Villarreal leading 2-0 on aggregate, but the Yellow Submarine quickly erased that two-goal deficit on Tuesday. Boulaye Dia found the back of the net in the third minute to give Villarreal a 1-0 lead in the second leg.
Francis Coquelin then scored for Villarreal in the 41st minute to put his team up 2-0 entering halftime. The goal made for a fiery second half, as the the clubs were tied 2-2 on aggregate.
However, Liverpool started the second half with a much better display, and the floodgates opened when Fabinho scored in the 62nd minute to get the Reds on the board and give them a 3-2 lead on aggregate.
Moments later, Luis Diaz found the back of the net in the 67th minute to tie the game 2-2 and give Liverpool a significant 4-2 lead on aggregate. Sadio Mane added another goal in the 74th minute to seal the victory for Liverpool, which reached the second round after leading 5-2 on aggregate.
It was a hard-fought victory, though the Reds will need to avoid a slow first-half start against The Citizens in the final later this month.
Manchester City and Real Madrid played through the first half of Wednesday’s match without scoring a goal, though the Citizens were in control for much of the match entering halftime.
After Man City was able to hold on in the first half, Riyad Mahrez capitalized with a goal in the 73rd minute to give his team a 1-0 lead in the second leg and a significant 5-3 lead on aggregate.
Things seemed bleak at that point for Los Blancos, but Manchester City began to fall apart in the 90th minute, and Real Madrid capitalized with a goal from Rodrygo, which cut City’s aggregate lead to 5-4.
Manchester City continued to struggle defensively in extra time, and Rodrygo cashed in again in the 91st minute to tie things on aggregate and send the match to extra time.
ESPN Stats & Info @ESPNStatsInfo
The only other player in European Cup history to score a goal in consecutive minutes of a semifinal or final was Ian Rush, who scored at 48′ and 49′ in the 1st leg of the 1985 semifinal in a 5-0 win against Panathinaikos (h/t <a href=”https://twitter.com/StatsPerform?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@StatsPerform</a>).
And who else but Karim Benzema in extra time to put the match away for Real Madrid? The French striker was taken down inside the box and awarded a penalty in the 95th minute.
The 34-year-old put the ball into the corner past Ederson to give Los Blancos a 3-1 lead in the match and a 6-5 lead on aggregate.
CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ @CBSSportsGolazo
Karim Benzema’s 15th <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/UCL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#UCL</a> goal this season takes him level with Robert Lewandowski as the third all-time goalscorer. ???? <a href=”https://t.co/DQEoJvLbXs”>pic.twitter.com/DQEoJvLbXs</a>
Manchester City did have some chances in extra time, but it wasn’t enough to stop the incredible comeback victory for Real Madrid.
Now Liverpool and Real Madrid will clash in the Champions League final in what should be one of the most competitive matches of the year.
For all the latest betting information and reaction, check out B/R Betting.
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