Event of the Day: UEFA Champions League Final
Our event of the day is the UEFA Champions League final between Real Madrid and Liverpool at the NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kiev. Holders Real Madrid are in their third successive final and coach Zinedine Zidane could become the first manager to win three European Cups in a row. Winners of a record 12 European crowns, the Spanish giants have been victorious in each of their last six finals. In their first season in the elite European competition since the 2014/15 season, five-time winners Liverpool have surprisingly reached the Kiev final after many impressive performances. Manager Jürgen Klopp has assembled a powerful attacking side that has scored a record 46 goals so far in the tournament. However the German has lost five major finals as a manager, including the Europa League in 2016 and League Cup in 2016 in his first two seasons with the Reds.
Real and Liverpool have met five times so far in European top competition, the first being a 1981 final that the English side won 1-0. The Reds were also better in 2008/09 in the last 16 phase, winning twice (1-0 and 4-0), while Los Blancos had their revenge in the 2014/15 group stage, beating Liverpool 3-0 and 1-0. Madrid’s main star Cristiano Ronaldo could become the first player to lift the trophy five times in the Champions League Era of the European Cup. The striker has scored a stunning 15 times in Real’s 12 games en route to the final. Liverpool’s attacker Mohamed Salah has been the revelation of the season scoring 44 goals in 51 appearances in all competitions, including 11 goals from 14 outings in the Champions League. The stage is set for a spectacular showdown in Kiev.
Honourable mentions around the globe go to the NBA Playoffs clash between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. The defending champion Warriors must win Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals to force a decider in Houston. The Aviva Premiership Rugby final takes place at Twickenham Stadium with the Exeter Chiefs taking on Saracens. Both teams were dominant in the regular season and in the playoff semi-finals as Exeter defeated Newcastle Falcons 36-5 and Saracens overcame Wasps 57-33. In Super Rugby, the Chiefs take on the Waratahs at the FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton. A Diamond League event, the Prefontaine Classic, takes place at Hayward Field in Eugene. It’s Day 3 of the European Tour’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and the PGA Tour’s Fort Worth Invitational at the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth. The 2018 Giro d’Italia continues with a 214km long mountain stage from Susa to Cervinia. In tennis, it’s the final day of the ATP Tour Banque Eric Sturdza Geneva Open at Tennis Club de Genève in Geneva; as well as the WTA Tour Internationaux de Strasbourg at Tennis Club de Strasbourg in Strasbourg. In the MLB, the Chicago Cubs face the San Francisco Giants at Wrigley Field in Chicago. It’s the third day of the 1st Test between England and Pakistan at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Photos by UEFA