Real Madrid vs Liverpool LIVE: Champions League final score, goals and updates

Real Madrid and Liverpool go head-to-head in tonight’s Champions League final.

All eyes will be on Kiev as the Reds attempt to chalk up their sixth European crown against a Real Madrid side looking to wrap up their third in a row.

While Zinedine Zidane’s men were always among the favourites for this year’s crown, Liverpool have come up on the outside thanks to the way Jurgen Klopp has shaped his exciting, young team.

Real Madrid XI: Navas, Carvajal, Ramos, Varane, Marcelo, Casemiro, Kroos, Modric, Isco, Benzema, Ronaldo.

Liverpool XI: Karius, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Milner, Wijnaldum, Mane, Salah, Firmino.

REAL MADRID 0-0 LIVERPOOL

30: Oh. My. Word. This is heartbreaking.

Mohamed Salah is off. The Egyptian star attempted to recover after that clash with Sergio Ramos but he simply can’t continue. A tearful Salah walks off to be replaced by Adam Lallana.

28: Panic! No really, this is cause for panic. Sergio Ramos looks to pull Mohamed Salah down and the Egyptian stays on the floor. It looked like a dislocated shoulder, but thankfully he’s up on his feet again.

25: Carvajal vs Mane. That’s the battle that could decide this final. Liverpool are dropping ball after ball over the right-back and Mane is winning it nearly every time.

Close! Again it starts on the left flank with Milner cutting the ball back for Firmino on the penalty spot. His effort is blocked and Navas makes an excellent save to deny the overlapping Alexander-Arnold.

22: It doesn’t look like Real Madrid know how to hurt Liverpool in the opening stages. Aside from that Ronaldo shot, the Spanish outfit haven’t troubled Van Dijk and co.

19: Nerves? Carvajal has a lapse in concentration & skews a clearance behind is own net for a corner. Salah sends an in swinger deep to the back post where Van Dijk nods over.

16: Ronaldo showing what a danger he is. The Portuguese superstar takes it on from a ridiculously tight angle and smashes one miles over the bar.

13: Save! Navas flies off his like like Superman to punch clear Alexander-Arnold’s whipped cross.

11: It’s scruffy. Liverpool are dominating things here and nearly get their reward through Robert Firmino, who can’t quite get the ball out from under his feet.

9: Marcelo, who the man sitting next to me has placed a bet on to be the first goalscorer tonight, drives forward and shanks one a few yards wide of the post. I suspect he would have shot through the roof if that went in.

6: Liverpool will be extremely pleased with the start they’ve made. Real Madrid can’t live with the press and Keylor Navas has just dived at the toes of Trent Alexander-Arnold to stop him from connecting with a Robertson cross.

3: Sergio Ramos knocks Mohamed Salah flat just outside the area. I make that 1-0 to the Egyptian. Good confidence booster.

Salah eyes up the set-piece but Luka Modric is on it like a flash and the chance goes begging.

1: What an amazing time for my computer to freeze and turn off. You’ve got to appreciate the damn thing’s timing.

Anyway, we’re underway folks! Both sides are looking to push forward in the early stages with Wijnaldum having a long-ranger blocked by Ramos.

HERE THEY COME…

19:43: The most aggressive stadium announcer of all time has just welcomed the teams out onto the field. Atmosphere is electric as the smoke from the pre-match show begins to lift.

REAL MADRID vs LIVERPOOL

19:42: Quick reminder of those sides. Just incase you were distracted by Dua Lipa.

Liverpool XI: Karius, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Milner, Wijnaldum, Mane, Salah, Firmino.

Subs: Mignolet, Clyne, Klavan, Moreno, Lallana, Can, Solanke.

Real Madrid XI: Navas, Carvajal, Ramos, Varane, Marcelo, Casemiro, Kroos, Modric, Isco, Benzema, Ronaldo.

Subs: Casilla, Nacho, Bale, Theo, Lucas, Asensio, Kovacic.

THE CEREMONY…

19:38: If you’re looking for a way of draining a stadium atmosphere with an unnecessary show – UEFA have got you covered.

There’s a pre-match show happening as we speak and nobody seems to know what on earth is happening. Someone called Dua Lipa is now signing a song.

SPINE-TINGLING

19:35: A rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone has just been sung inside the stadium. Plenty more Liverpool supporters than Real Madrid fans, I’m not sure how much travel problems contributed to that.

Anyway, the video is above courtesy of Darren Fletcher.

RONALDO > SALAH – RAMOS

19:30: Kind of looks like a mathematical equation. I would have paid more attention at school if that was the case.

Anyway, Sergio Ramos believes Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah still has some way to go to match team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo.

“Comparing players with Ronaldo and Messi is something you can’t do,” said Ramos. “They’re in another orbit. There are players who are in fashion, those who come and go and others who stay around.

“Salah is a top player, that’s clear. He’s shown that this year and he’s got a great chance to show that over the next few years as Ronaldo and Messi have done.”

STRANGE…

19:28: Not quite sure what’s going on with Gareth Bale. The Welsh international didn’t come out to warm up with the rest of the Real Madrid substitutes.

Cue the ‘Gareth Bale to Manchester United’ headlines, folks.

BANNER AWARDS

19:25: I’ve seen some brilliant Liverpool banners around Kiev this week and some truly awful ones. I’m still trying to decide which camp the one above falls into. Thoughts?

BIG BALLS…

19:20: Jurgen Klopp insists the club are back where they belong after a spell in the European wilderness.

The five-time winners of the European Cup play in their first Champions League final since 2007 after successfully negotiating only their second campaign in UEFA’s premier club competition in the last eight years.

He also says his side have played ‘big balls’ football this year. Huge cojones as Troy Deeney would say…

“To qualify for a final, it shows that you are back. To win it? You need a little bit of luck. But we are back, first and foremost,” Klopp explained.

TOP TIP

19:15: Give the guy in the picture above a wide berth tonight, lads. He looks like one of those dead guys from Pirates of the Caribbean…

TWITTER ROUND-UP

Fabian: This Real Madrid team will make this Final look so obvious and ordinary than expected. They might just devour Liverpool for experience just like they did with Juventus last year.

Andy: Classic coming up. Liverpool will go 2-0 up in 10 minutes then Real back to 2-2 at full time with a Sergio Ramos last minute header. Then Gareth Bale wins it in extra time.

Karl: Whatever the result tonight – we’re very much heading in the right direction under the stewardship of Jurgen Klopp and FSG. Let it also be said that it’s both a privilege and a hell of a lot of fun being a Liverpool fan!

ANY OTHER BUSINESS…

19:10: Just a couple of bits to take care of before we crack on with the coverage, folks.

The first is the names that Fulham have returned to the Premier League after a four-year absence thanks to a 1-0 victory over Aston Villa in the Championship play-off final at Wembley.

The second is the picture above. I would ask that these two men are escorted from the stadium this evening and the half-and-half shirts are placed on a bonfire.

A SIGN?

19:05: Apparently the Olimpiyskiy Stadium, where tonight’s match will take place, was known as the Red Stadium between 1923 to 1935. Obviously in the stars, right?

LIVERPOOL’S BIG ADVANTAGE – RIO

19:02: BT pundit and Manchester United legend has explained why Liverpool could lift the Champions League trophy tonight.

“They’ve made it look comfortable, that’s the difference with Liverpool,” Ferdinand said of Liverpool’s Champions League campaign so far. “They blitzed Manchester City, everyone had Manchester City as favourites, including myself.

“But they went there, they met them toe-to-toe and they had a genuine belief and desire to get through and to beat Manchester City like no other team have done this season.

“There’s that dynamic element they have got, the pace, the power. I think this is the most powerful, most quick team on the planet at the moment.

“They’re the best equipped to play against the likes Man City and this team here Real Madrid, who are an ageing side so to speak. So I think athleticism will play a big part today.”

CLEAN SHEET?

19:00: Chance of a clean sheet tonight? Obviously it’s highly unlikely but there is a case for the defence.

Liverpool have kept six clean sheets so far with half of them coming in the knockout stage when the world’s most expensive defender Virgil van Dijk was involved following his £75million January move.

The Holland captain has provided a commanding presence to the team and is a composed, calming influence on those around him. Real have managed only three clean sheets and two of those came against minnows Apoel in the group stage.

However, the defending champions have wily campaigner Sergio Ramos, the no-nonsense linchpin of Real’s defence for the last decade who knows every trick in the book when it comes to gamesmanship and getting a result.

FUN FACT

18:55: OK, it’s not really fun but it is most certainly a fact that Real Madrid are playing the exact same XI that started last year’s final against Juventus.

And here’s the Liverpool side who lost 1-0 to Real Madrid in the 2014 group stages.

Liverpool XI: Mignolet; Manquillo, Toure, Skrtel, Moreno; Lucas, Can, Allen, Lallana; Markovic, Borini.

Quite a bit has changed at Anfield, but not a day goes by when I don’t miss Fabio Borini strutting his stuff at Anfield…

GOALS GALORE

18:50: Liverpool are the competition’s top scorers this season with 40 (not including six in a qualifier against Hoffenheim) which is 10 more than Real have managed despite Ronaldo leading the individual charts with 15.

However, Liverpool have the next three top scorers in Salah and Roberto Firmino (10 apiece) and Sadio Mane (nine). They also have the top two players for assists in James Milner (nine) and Firmino (eight).

Liverpool have failed to score in only one of their Champions League matches this season – a goalless draw against Porto having won the first leg 5-0 – while Real have found the net in all their games.

TWITTER ROUND-UP

Hayden: Not a Liverpool fan but supporting them tonight from the comfort of the garden hammock via YouTube.

Vijay: Ok now I’m bricking it. On paper Liverpool are nowhere near Real Madrid, but you never know with this game. It’s going to be a night of emotion whatever the outcome.

Carl: With Rickie Lambert in Kiev supporting his beloved Reds!

Looks like Rickie is enjoying his retirement! Probably not the last pint of the day…

TEAM NEWS – REAL MADRID

18:40: Los Blancos are also at full strength. Good news for them, but bad news for Gareth Bale, who will have to make an impact from the bench.

Isco plays in behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.

TEAM NEWS – LIVERPOOL

18:35: No surprises in Liverpool’s starting XI.

Jurgen Klopp deploys Roberto Firming, Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane in attack with Georginio Wijnaldum, Jordan Henderson and James Milner providing the steel in midfield.

Loris Karius starts between the sticks, as expected, with Dejan Lovren and Virgil van Dijk as the preferred central defensive partnership.

Ere Can recovers from injury to take his place on the bench alongside Adam Lallana and Dominic Solanke.

REAL MADRID vs LIVERPOOL

18:30: Here is the side Jurgen Klopp’s selected for the final folks. Emre Can and Adam Lallana are among the substitutes, but there’s no room for either Danny Ings or Ben Woodburn.

Liverpool XI: Karius, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Milner, Wijnaldum, Mane, Salah, Firmino.

Subs: Mignolet, Clyne, Klavan, Moreno, Lallana, Can, Solanke.

Real Madrid XI: Navas, Carvajal, Ramos, Varane, Marcelo, Casemiro, Kroos, Modric, Isco, Benzema, Ronaldo.

Subs: Casilla, Nacho, Bale, Theo, Lucas, Asensio, Kovacic.

LEAK…

18:28: The latest reports from Spain suggest Gareth Bale will start on the bench this evening. That could mean that Benzema and Isco join Ronaldo in the forward line. Team news and line-ups will be with you and second now.

FRANK WARNING

18:25: Geddit? Yep, terrible pun and I’ll see myself out.

Former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard says the experience of a final is an advantage for Real Madrid tonight, claiming they will not let the occasion get to them.

But he adds that Liverpool must do the same and remain 100 per cent focused on their task at hand.

“It’s a game you always wanted to play in,” Lampard said on BT Sport. “So you have to try and remember that. It’s a lot of focus, you’re trying to block out lots of things and focus on what you need to do in the game. That’s probably one of Liverpool’s biggest challenges tonight.

“They are the most inexperienced of the two teams, so those players that are not used to this occasion, who have been brilliant this year, have to make sure they are 100 per cent focused in every sense.

“Don’t let this game pass you by. Finals that pass you by are the most frustrating of all. You have to try and grab it.”

SALAH OR RONALDO

18:20: “Do we really have to pick a better player?” yes, I’m afraid we do because it’s the law.

Inevitably the respective managers were asked which player is better.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp diplomatically refused to answer, for fear of creating unnecessary headlines, but Real coach Zinedine Zidane had no problem in picking Cristiano Ronaldo.

He’s classy like that. I wouldn’t bet against there being a new clause in Ronaldo’s contract that demands Zidane chooses him…

Anyway, Mohamed Salah has had the best individual season of any player in Europe, scoring 44 goals so far and winning the Premier League Golden Boot. Ronaldo is the Champions League’s leading scorer with 15 goals in the current campaign but, at 33, is seven years Salah’s senior and is not the force he was a couple of seasons ago.

Real’s team revolves around Ronaldo whereas Salah’s success has come from the team ethic which Klopp has instilled.

ROUTES TO THE FINAL

18:15: There will always be the inevitable, and pointless, argument about ‘who had the more difficult’ route to the final.

Round of 16: Porto 0-5 Liverpool, Real Madrid 5-2 Paris St-Germain

Quarter-finals: Liverpool 5-1 Manchester City, Juventus 3-4 Real Madrid

Semi-finals: Liverpool 7-6 Roma, Bayern Munich 3-4 Real Madrid

Zinedine Zidane’s side have unquestionably beaten the tougher sides, but I seriously doubt any Liverpool supporters will care if they win.

TWITTER ROUND-UP

Joel: All I want to see is Liverpool play football the way they have done throughout the competition this season- not get overawed by the occasion. Be brave, attack Real Madrid, leave absolutely everything on the pitch. If they do that, you can’t really ask for any more.

Dan: Today is our third Champions League final in 14 years. Considering we weren’t even in the tournament for six of those years, it’s three finals in eight attempts. That’s pretty remarkable when you think about it.

Aaron: This final will be a barnstormer of a match between two teams who completely and wholeheartedly believe they are destined to win the trophy. If Real Madrid really are as arrogant as they’ve come across in the media the last few weeks, they’re going to be in for a shock.

HOW ABOUT THAT!

18:08: Incredible atmosphere in Kiev tonight folks. Take a look at the video above and just soak it in. Liverpool fans won’t be forgetting this night for a while…

HAVE YOUR SAY

18:05: If you want to vent your frustrations, or discuss any issues in the world of football (within reason), then get in touch!

You can either comment at the bottom of the page or contact me via Twitter using the hashtag #ExpressSport.

EVENING…

18:00: Welcome to our LIVE coverage of the 2018 Champions League final between Real Madrid and Liverpool.

It’s the immovable object vs unstoppable force in Kiev tonight.

Nice to get the first cliché in early. Don’t worry, I promise that will be the first and last of the evening…

Anyway, you all know what’s at stake.

It is 11 years since Liverpool’s last appearance in the final, a defeat to AC Milan, and 13 years since the ‘Miracle of Istanbul’ when they beat a star-studded Milan side.

Meanwhile Real Madrid are looking to secure their third-consecutive European crown.

It really is one of those famous European nights. Damn, another cliché slipped out…

REAL MADRID vs LIVERPOOL

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has to make a choice between Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale to partner Cristiano Ronaldo up front.

Benzema has scored only three times in his last 17 matches and looks most likely to miss out as Bale has hit some late-season form with five goals in as many games.

Ronaldo and Dani Carvajal have both fully recovered from minor knocks and are set to start.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s one real decision ahead of the Champions League final against Real Madrid appears to be whether to include Emre Can in his squad.

The Germany international, who is yet to sign an extension on a contract which expires next month, has not played since the end of March because of a back injury but has returned to full training and travelled with the squad to Ukraine.

Fellow midfielder Adam Lallana is expected to start on the bench.