With the UEFA Champions League (UCL) set to be played between Real Madrid and Liverpool, the road to final for both the teams saw stars like Karim Benzema take centre stage, while Liverpool established complete dominance over Villarreal to get through to the final in Paris.
Here is a look at the two teams in terms of numbers and statistics as they gear up for a repeat of the 2017-18 UCL final.
Benzema -- The wizard of Real Madrid
Karim Benzema has scored seven UEFA Champions League goals against English teams this season; the most by a player in a single campaign in the competition’s history. He has also netted four goals in five previous matches against Liverpool in the competition.
The 34-year-old has become the fourth player to have scored in both legs of the quarterfinal and semifinal in a single UCL campaign after Fernando Morientes, Neymar and Edin Dzeko.
The Frenchman is level on the most goal contributions in the Champions League this season, with Robert Lewandowski, with both having 16 (goals+assists).
Carletto and the 'Real' NumbersCarlo Ancelotti has reached his fifth UEFA Champions League final (2003, 2005 and 2007 with AC Milan, 2014 and 2022 with Real Madrid), the most of any manager in the competition's history. Grande.
Since 2003-04 when the last 16 was introduced, Real Madrid is the first team to lose a match in the last 16 (0-1 vs PSG), quarter-final (2-3 vs Chelsea) and semi-final (3-4 vs Man City) in a season and still reach the UEFA Champions League final.
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Rodrygo is the 4th player to score multiple goals in the 90th minute or later of a Champions League match, after Emil Forsberg (2019), Gareth Bale (2010) and Nilmar (2004). Rodrygo is the 1st to achieve this in a UCL knockout game.
Gareth Bale is one win away from registering his name in record books. No British player has won five European Cup / Champions League trophies.
The Welsh International has played twice in the competition this season, coming off the bench against Chelsea and Paris St. Germain.
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Cristiano Ronaldo is the only player in the UCL era to win five Champions League finals. Nine Real Madrid players could join him if they win the final -- Karim Benzema, Dani Carvajal, Luka Modric, Gareth Bale, Toni Kroos, Casemiro, Marcelo, Nacho, Isco
Third UCL final in five years for Liverpool
Liverpool will be playing its third Champions Legaue final under manager Jurgen Klopp. The German has reached the Champions League final in four of the last 10 seasons, including three of the last five. He's only taken part in eight campaigns in that time.
His first final was with Borussia Dortmund in 2013, while the other three were with Liverpool (2018, 2019, 2022).
Liverpool has become the first-ever English club to reach the final of the European Cup/Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup in the same season.
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After scoring against Vilarreal in the second leg, Sadio Mane scored his 15th goal in UCL knockouts. He became the highest Afrcian goalscorer in the knockout stages of the Champions League, surpassing Chelsea's Didier Drogba, who had 14 goals.
The Senegal International also got level with another Chelsea legend, Frank Lampard, on maximum goals scored in the UCL knockout stage for an English club. Both Mane and Lampard have 15 goals each.
With the win against Villarreal, Liverpool is set to play its 10th UCL final. Only four teams have made 10 or more appearances in the final.
With Liverpool eyeing the quadruple -- the FA Cup, the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League and EFL Cup (won) -- it will be playing its 63rd match this season. That is the maximum it could have played.
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