Event of the Day: Champions League Final
Our event of the day is the final of the Champions League between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid. This all-English final pits two teams chasing their last chance at a trophy this season against one another. Both have seen off some of the strongest teams in Europe to make it to today’s final. Liverpool seek their sixth Champions League title while Spurs appear in their first final. This is a match you won’t want to miss.This could be the perfect end to Liverpool’s season. Despite recording the third best season in Premier League history and having two Golden Boot winners on the squad, they failed to steal the title away from Manchester City. Nonetheless they have most definitely found success in the Champions League. They went 3-0-3 in the group stage, finishing second behind Paris Saint-Germain. While they were tied on points with Napoli, Liverpool avoided dropping into the Europa League on goals scored during the group stage. In the Round of 16, they came up against the German giant, Bayern Munich. After drawing 0-0 at Anfield, Liverpool broke out on the road and scored twice in the second half to erase a Joël Matip own goal to take a 3-1 victory. They then only improved, beating Porto 6-1 in the quarterfinals. Then came their biggest challenge - a semi-final against Barcelona. Things looked over for Liverpool after losing the first leg 3-0.
However that only led to one of the most memorable moments in Champions League history as the Reds scored four goals in front of their home crowd to stun one of Europe’s best teams. Liverpool’s last Champions League final victory was in 2005. That night in Istanbul saw Liverpool score three goals in the second half to take the game to extra time and a penalty shootout they would win. However, for their opponents tonight, this is all very new. The closest Spurs have previously come to the Champions League final is a semi-final in 1962. This year, they went 2-2-2 in the group stage, finishing above Inter Milan on away goals in matches between the two sides. After a 4-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the Round of 16, they faced Manchester City. Taking a 1-0 lead into the second leg, they ended up losing 4-3 but their three goals were enough to take them through to the semis on away goals. This brought them up against Ajax, who had beaten Real Madrid and Juventus in their own tournament run. Once again, it was away goals that helped Spurs through to the next round, overturning Ajax’s first leg 1-0 victory by winning 3-2 in Amsterdam. Left in the dust of Manchester City and Liverpool’s title race, Spurs will want their taste of glory to end the season. With two elite teams hungry to end their season with a title, this is a final you won’t want to miss.
Honourable mentions around the globe go to the Giro d’Italia. The penultimate stage of the race takes riders from Feltre to Croce d’Aune-Monte Avena. Richard Carapaz will take the pink jersey into the penultimate stage, holding a lead of 1 minute and 54 seconds. With the race coming to an end, you won’t want to miss the final stages. In boxing, Anthony Joshua will defend his three major titles against Andy Ruiz Jr in a highly anticipated bout at Madison Square Garden. Joshua is making his US debut and the stakes couldn’t be higher with his titles on the line. This is sure to be an unmissable fight. It’s derby day at the Investec Derby Festival at Epsom Downs Racecourse. 13 strong horses will take to the iconic racecourse today, competing for one of most prestigious titles in racing. Be sure you don’t miss the excitement. In the NHL, the St Louis Blues host the Boston Bruins at the Scottrade Center for game three of the Stanley Cup finals. The two teams will look to break the 1-1 series that exists after two games. This has been a thrilling Stanley Cup so far and be sure you don’t miss the continuation of it tonight. The Premiership Rugby season concludes today with the playoff final between Exeter and Saracens at Twickenham. The top two teams of the regular season face off in the final that everyone expected. The final feels like it was meant to be as the only teams that could really challenge one another all season. This is set to be a thrilling end to an explosive season so be sure to tune in. In the WNBA, the Dallas Wings host the Minnesota Lynx at College Park Center in Arlington.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Photos by Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur