Champion's League Final 2014, And the winner is... Madrid!

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Is Madrid sides go limp in Lisbon ?



If you look back at previous results, it looks like the Lisbon final is destined to go to extra time and even penalties. Neither Real Madrid nor Atlético have ever won in the Portuguese capital, although those games will clearly have little bearing when Saturday's game gets underway.

Real have played in Lisbon three times, coming home with two defeats (5-1 against Benfica and 2-1 against Sporting Lisbon) and one draw (2-2 against Sporting).

Atlético earned a draw on their only visit, with their game against Sporting Lisbon ending 2-2. The picture looks a little more rosy if we look at Portugal as a whole, however, where Real have recorded three victories and three defeats, and Atlético have two victories, two draws and four defeats.

This will be the first time that either team plays at the new Estádio de la Luz. At the old stadium that was demolished in 2003, Real once lost to Benfica 5-1 in the quarter finals of the European Cup in the 64/65 season, while Atlético have yet to play in either incarnation of the Benfica stadium.




Surely it is Strategic battle in Lisbon


Nobody would be surprised if the Real Madrid-Atlético game in Lisbon turns out to be a tight and evenly-balanced affair with very few chances, which could be decided by one or two isolated moments: a spark of genius from one of the stars, a long-range bullet or a goal from a set piece.

Both teams are strategically very strong and know how to use dead-ball situations to their advantage. At some points of the season set pieces have proved to come in very handy for them both, especially Atlético.

Simeone's squad has scored 15 league goals with a strategic approach to set-pieces, the latest being Godín's goal at the Camp Nou, which won his side the league title.

In the Champions League, meanwhile, set pieces have been crucial for Real Madrid. During the 'Blancos' historical game in Munich, Madrid scored both of their two first goals with Sergio Ramos nodding home from set pieces, the first a corner and the second a free kick.

A combination of injuries and fatigue to some star players makes this strategic approach to the game all the more important. Atlético have resolved many of their problems in recent games with a solid header.

Diego Costa's absence limits the team's striking potential and gives corners and free kicks added importance. Madrid has a stronger roster of players, but is well able to take advantage of dead-ball situations, too.






Ronaldo on the road to recovery...and Lisbon


Cristiano Ronaldo has taken a big step towards playing in the Champions League final during Real Madrid's final training session in the Spanish capital before travelling to Lisbon.

He completed part of the session with the rest of the group and part of it training by himself. Pepe and Benzema, meanwhile, spent the morning continuing to work with the physiotherapists.

The positive news for Carlo Ancelotti regarding Cristiano Ronaldo was marred by concern over the Portuguese defender Pepe and the French striker Karim Benzema.

The manager is beginning to resign himself to the fact that he will be without his star centre back and Frenchman Raphael Varane will have to play in the final, although he has higher hopes that Benzema will recover in time.





Costa back with horsepower boost

Diego Costa returned this Wednesday to Madrid, meaning his trip to Belgrade hardly lasted a day. The Spanish/Brazilian arrived in Barajas late in the afternoon. He entered the airport's executive terminal accompanied by Oscar Pitillas, the Atlético team's main physio.

The player got into a van and went directly to the Cemtro medical centre, where he underwent an MRI scan to see the effects of the treatment he was subject to by Serbian Marijana Kovacevic, also known as 'The Miracle Doctor'.


Horse placenta
The first results look positive, but it is still early to know if Costa will be ready to play for this Saturday's big game. The plan is that the player will train this Thursday to test how his right thigh behaves. Many are sceptical about Kovacevic's methods, as she uses the now famous horse placenta as a cure, but the club decided that any help was better than doing nothing once it was discovered that nothing had broken.

aneke peter chukwujekwu wrote:

The stop time suposed to be 3mins highest

well,both teams had 5 minutes to play and real madrid utilized it.

Confirmed