After a long, winding road, which for some teams began way back in July, the day has finally come. It’s the day of the Champions League final! And if you’re not excited, well, you’re probably jaded by life in general.
This year’s UEFA Champions League final has already made history: it’s the first time two teams from the same city will meet in the final game of the tournament. Today in Lisbon, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid will play out the 265th edition of El Derbi madrileño on one of the world’s biggest stages.
(READ MORE: PREVIEWING LISBON’S MADRID DERBY)
But for one side, the stakes are even higher than usual. Real Madrid are fighting to win their 10th European Cup, a trophy they’ve been striving for since 2002, when Zinedine Zidane put in a spectacular goal to ensure los merengues triumphed over Bayer Leverkusen.
Twelve years have passed since Real Madrid made it to the final. But they arrive in Lisbon not on the back of a bout of good luck, but because reaching the final has been their goal the entire season. Carlo Ancelotti said on Friday,
Close, perhaps, but that tenth trophy isn’t in hand yet. And considering their opponents won La Liga this season, Real can’t be expecting that their crowning will be a mere formality.
