Liverpool star Mohamed Salah wants to play and win vs Real Madrid in the Champions League final
While speaking in an interview with BT Sport, as quoted by ESPN, Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has revealed that he would prefer to play against Real Madrid rather than Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League final.
After a difficult first half at the Estadio de la Cerámica, Liverpool bounced back with three goals in the second 45 minutes and secured a 5-2 aggregate victory against Villarreal in the Champions League semi-final. They are now set to take on the winner of Manchester City vs Real Madrid in the final on 28th May.
Real Madrid would have a big task in their hand today in the second leg of the UCL Semi-final after losing by a 4-3 scoreline against Manchester City in the first leg. Los Blancos would have the home advantage as they will be playing at the Santiago Bernabeu.
When asked in the post-match press conference about which team Salah would prefer to play against in the final, without any hesitation, the Egyptian striker revealed that he would be happier to take on Carlo Ancelotti’s team.
“I want to play Madrid. I have to be honest. City is a really tough team; we play against them a few times this season. But if you ask me personally, I would prefer Madrid.”
Liverpool and especially Mohamed Salah have a history with Real Madrid, having lost a Champions League final against them in 2018. What may have bothered the Egyptian star more than the defeat was when Sergio Ramos’ heavy challenge injured his shoulder and forced him to leave the field.
We brought on Adam Lallana instead in that game but the Englishman just couldn’t have the same impact as our in-form talisman. Salah then entered a race against time to be fit in time for Egypt’s FIFA World Cup campaign and while he did feature in the group stages, one can speculate that he may not have been at his 100%.
“We lost in the final, so I want to play against them, hopefully, win it from them as well.”
Can Liverpool win against Real Madrid?
Liverpool are the only team in Europe capable of securing a unique quadruple this season. Contrary to what some of the rival fans may have us believe, the Reds haven’t had it easy. Beating the two teams from Milan, two from Lisbon, Atletico Madrid, and now, a Villarreal team that knocked out Juventus and Bayern Munich is a hard, hard task.
In contrast, despite winning the La Liga, Real Madrid’s UCL campaign remains highly dependent on two stars- Vinicius Jr and Karim Benzema. Liverpool fans would feel like an ageing Madrid team is there for the taking. However, with their history in the UCL, Madrid are always dangerous and for some, may even be the favourites.
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But for that, they must face Pep Guardiola’s side tonight and get the better of them. Having already played City four times this season, LFC fans would perhaps want a change in scenery and prefer Los Blancos to join them in Paris.
