The 2021/22 UEFA Champions League final is expected to be quite a spectacular one. Liverpool, who have had a striking season will be looking to win their third trophy this campaign. After just missing on the opportunity to make a quadruple, as Manchester City were crowned champions of England, they will be extremely motivated to prove their prowess again and defeat Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid in the CL final.
The Spanish side are not that easy to outplay though, with them getting back to the top in La Liga and looking for an even more positive end to their successful campaign. After three disappointing seasons in the tournament, Ancelotti is looking to bring them back to European heights and doing it against such strong opponents would definitely boost Los Blancos’ confidence and motivate them to perform even better in the upcoming season.
It is expected that both teams will stick to their attack-minded approaches and will constantly be on the front foot, looking to score goals and outplay each other. Liverpool are pointed out as the favourites in this game but as Los Blancos showed in their semi-final matches against Manchester City, they can be equally as dangerous in front of the goal.
In this preview, we use tactical analysis to examine both managers’ tactics for the game and explain how the teams could expose each other and grab the trophy.
Possible line-ups
Jürgen Klopp will stick to his 4-3-3 scheme and will rely on Alisson as the goalkeeper who will try to block Real Madrid’s attackers’ efforts on the goal. He is expected to employ Andrew Robertson, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté and Trent Alexander-Arnold in defence, as his most efficient back-four combination out of possession but also as a line that can successfully support ball progression and attack.
The midfield line will most probably consist of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Naby Keïta trying to bring confidence and security between the lines. Thiago Alcântara is also an option for a starting spot should he be back after sustaining an injury in their last Premier League game. His presence could bring dimension to Liverpool in possession as his passing and dribbling could bring additional pressure on Real’s defence.
The biggest question around Liverpool’s starting XI is whether the manager will rely on Diogo Jota or Luis Díaz in the frontline. Or maybe both? Of course, lining up both is less likely as he would rather rely on Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané, but either combination of attackers could be equally deadly for the opponents.
Real Madrid also use the 4-3-3 formation, although, as the manager explained, they like to switch things up in-game, so it could be expected that they will transform throughout the game. They will go out with Thibaut Courtois on the goal, while Ancelotti will most probably rely on Ferland Mendy, David Alaba, Éder Militão and Daniel Carvajal defensively. He has a few options at the back, although only Nacho Fernández looks like another contender for a starting spot. Some of the most experienced players, Luka Modrić, Casemiro and Toni Kroos will form the midfield trio as the defensive line would need quite a lot of support, while not removing their attacking strength.
The forward line won’t be less threatening than Liverpool’s with Vinícius Júnior, Karim Benzema and Rodrygo in it, with the manager having quite a few more decent options for the final third.
Can Real Madrid restrain the pressure?
Liverpool’s pressing proficiency might turn out as the biggest problem for the Madrid side. Not because they have many defensive issues but more so because they are not used to playing against pressing teams that often. The average PPDA rate against them in La Liga is 16.14, which underlines their dominance in possession but also the low level of resistance that they meet.
This won’t be the case against the Reds for sure. Liverpool are expected to try to trouble the opposition’s build-up and focus on pressurising their key players with the aim to force them into individual mistakes and recover the ball. Despite being the team with the fewest ball losses per 90 in La Liga, Real Madrid’s players often make errors under pressure, which lead to conceding goalscoring opportunities.
The battle on Real’s right flank would be key for them to be able to resist the pressure and avoid any danger. Carvajal’s performance throughout the season has been unconvincing and a big part of the team’s defensive struggles have come as a result of his individual errors and inability to cope in 1vs1 situations.
This comes as the perfect opportunity for Liverpool to display their full potential. With Robertson’s constant involvement upfront, it will be easy for them to overload the flank and pressurise Carvajal both in and out of possession should he not have enough support from his teammates.
The struggles might get even bigger if Alcântara plays against him. With his ball control and technical abilities, he has a high chance to succeed in ball progression, against Carvajal’s average of 55% won defensive duels. But the team need to be careful with how they approach the Spaniard as if he doesnt have the needed space to progress on the left, he tends to send long diagonal balls to the other flank and allow Liverpool to exploit the underloaded areas.
Add Mané’s speed runs or Díaz’s positioning off the ball and it might be impossible for Carvajal to split his responsibilities, especially with his tendency to move into the advanced areas.
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