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UCL Final Preview: Madrid derby to decide European supremecy

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A winner will be decided on Saturday in Milan, and one Madrid side will own the bragging rights by hoisting the UEFA Champions League winners’ trophy.

Already with the most UCL wins in the competition’s history, Real Madrid seeks an unprecedented 11th title, while Atletico will be in pursuit of their first (Saturday, 2:45 p.m., FOX, ESPN Deportes TV, Watch ESPN, Fox Soccer 2Go).

A deflating late equalizer in regulation gave Real the opportunity to stun Atleti in extra time during the 2013-14 final, and now Diego Simeone’s side will be out to seek revenge two years later.

 

Both sides cruised through their respective UCL group stage pairings, but this season has been far from simple for either squad. Battling talented teams on a consistent basis in both the UCL and La Liga, Real and Atleti have had anything but an easy road to Milan.

Simeone’s men narrowly escaped their Round of 16 tie against Dutch side PSV Eindhoven, winning 8-7 in a thrilling penalty-kick shootout. That performance was outdone by wins against two of the world’s elite, in Barcelona and Bayern Munich, thus solidifying their place in this year’s final.

For Real, Cristiano Ronaldo and co. cruised past Roma in a 4-0 aggregate scoreline in the Round of 16, before facing great adversity against Wolfsburg and Manchester City in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.

The Portuguese attacker has dazzled in this year’s competition for Real, netting 16 goals. Atleti striker Antoine Griezmann leads the way for Los Rojiblancos, scoring 32 goals across all competitions in 2015-16, including seven in the UCL.

Which team will hoist the UEFA Champions League title? Who will be the goalscorer(s) in the match? Which player will be the most critical to their team winning?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Stoppage. Ramos’ equalizer came in stoppage time, not regulation. Also, beating Wolfberg and Man City is nto the equivalent of beating Barcelona and Bayern.

    Reply

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