We have finally (almost) reached the Champions League Final — which also happens to be the final most important match of the season. The mostest of the most. The biggest game in club football. It’s the game that crowns the best club football team in Europe. Since most of the world’s best footballers play in Europe, this cup serves as the de facto world championship. Fittingly, this match is a worldwide spectacle that will capture a television audience four times bigger than that of the Super Bowl.
The knowledge that this is the last time I will see this magnificent team play tinges my excitement bittersweet.
In Paris on Saturday — 2:00 p.m. here in Dallas (9:00 p.m. Paris time). Here in the USA, you can watch it on CBS.
Narratives Abound
To the writer’s combined delight and panic, narratives abound.
- The Undisputed Kings of Europe vs England’s Best European Club
- Paris 1981 vs. Kyiv 2018 vs. Paris 2022
- Benzema vs. Salah
- Premier League vs. La Liga
- Klopp vs. Ancelotti
- And, oh yes, a football match as well, with such workaday concerns as form, tactics, injuries, lineups, etc.
Get comfy and maybe grab some snacks, cuz we’re going to be here a while.
The Undisputed Kings of Europe vs England’s Best European Club
Since the European Cup competition started in 1955, Real Madrid have won this thing 13 times. The next highest total is AC Milan, with seven wins. Liverpool and Bayern Munich are tied for third place with six. Liverpool has twice as many European titles as the second most prolific winner in England, Manchester United. Thus, Liverpool are clearly among European royalty, but Real Madrid are the undisputed kings.
I’m probably the only person who thinks it’s clever, but my 55-year-old self made a meme:
Paris 1981 vs. Kyiv 2018 vs. Paris 2022
Speaking of history, these two teams have some of that, including against one another.
Real Madrid have only needed to 16 trips to the Final to win their 13 titles. They have won their last seven times they have appeared in the Final. Indeed, the last time they lost in a Final was 1981. The location and the opponent for that one? [Checks notes…] Liverpool. In Paris. Liverpool won that one 1-0.
The last time Real Madrid appeared in a Final was in 2018 in Kyiv. Their opponent? The Reds, who were not-so-mighty on the day.
In 2018, Real’s center back Sergio Ramos was quite influential, as he singlehandedly managed both to: a) separate the shoulder of Liverpool’s best player (Mo Salah), knocking him out of the game; and b) elbow the head of Liverpool’s goalkeeper Loris Karius, giving him a concussion, which unfortunately went undiagnosed at the time. Unlike Salah, Karius stayed in the match. The keeper later made two monumental errors, which directly resulted in two of Real Madrid’s goals. Karius’ career never recovered. He is still technically a Liverpool player, but he hasn’t played a minute for Liverpool in several years.
Gareth Bale imposed the rest of the damage, in spectacular fashion. Real Madrid ultimately won 3-1.
Real Madrid also knocked Liverpool out of the Champions League in last season’s quarterfinals. That defeat, however, hurt far less, for multiple reasons. Obviously, it was not a Final. And, given that Liverpool played the entire second half of last season without ANY healthy senior center backs, the Reds considered themselves fortunate just to have made it to the quarterfinals.
But Salah’s shoulder separation in the 2018 Final left lasting marks. Of course, Salah was immediately devastated both by the defeat and because he had to leave the match in the first half. A few weeks later, he rushed to recover in time to play for Egypt in the World Cup. In all likelihood, Salah considers those World Cup matches as the most important matches of his career. But, because of that shoulder injury, he was clearly still not at his best in that tournament.
Now, even though Sergio Ramos is no longer a Real Madrid player, Salah wants revenge.
Immediately after Liverpool defeated Villarreal in the Champions League semifinal earlier this month, reporters asked Mo Salah whether he would prefer to face Real Madrid or Manchester City in the Final, because those two clubs had not yet played the second leg of their semifinal. Displaying some refreshing candor for a professional athlete, Salah replied, “I want to play Madrid. I have to be honest. City is a really tough team. We played against them several times this season. But if you ask me personally, I would prefer Madrid.”
Salah vs. Benzema: Two of the Best in the World
For the first half of this season, LFC’s Mohamed Salah was arguably better than any other footballer in the world.
For the full course of this season, however, there’s little doubt that Real Madrid’s striker Karim Benzema has been the better player. Benzema has made a great case for himself as the world’s best this season, and that’s especially been true in the Champions League tournament so far.
In all competitions this season, Benzema has appeared in 45 matches, and has scored an astounding 44 goals, while assisting his teammates 15 times.
Mo Salah has appeared 50 times in all competitions this season, and he has 31 goals and 16 assists.
For the season, Salah has been excellent, but Benzema has been transcendent. For example, the first two goals of Benzema’s hat trick against Chelsea in the first leg of the quarterfinals were spectacular.
Benzema has shown his top form against the best of the best in the Champions League. In 11 European matches this season, he has 15 goals and two assists. Although Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski still gave Benzema a run for the money by scoring 13 Champions League goals, Benzema will walk away with the Golden Boot this year. Salah has been very good in the Champions League, but still has “only” eight goals and two assists, placing him a distant fourth among the goalscoring leaders.
Salah’s finishing largely deserted him in the second half of the season, after he played for Egypt in the African Cup of Nations in January. Before that tournament, he was scoring 0.88 goals per game. Afterward, he managed only 0.33 goals per game, and three of his eight goals have come from penalty kicks. During that post-AFCON period, Salah’s other stats, including his xG numbers, have stayed at or near the high levels that he achieved during the first half of the season. But, for the last few months, Salah has been missing most of his chances to score.
Perhaps Salah’s recent downturn is both understandable and predictable, considering the grueling minutes that he played for Egypt during the African Cup of Nations. Over a three-and-a-half week period in January, Salah played for Egypt seven times. In three of those matches, he played a full 90 minutes. But in the last four matches in the competition, Salah literally worked overtime. He played a full 120 minutes on each occasion. This is far more than a normal minutes load for a professional footballer.
In any event, Salah’s poor form (by his own incredible standards), and his goal of winning a Ballon d’Or will all provide additional motivation, and additional pressure on his already-overworked shoulders. Salah has come through in the clutch before, including in the Champions League Final in 2019, and he may well do so again.
Karim Benzema has been in four previous Champions League Finals. He’s only netted once in those four matches — and the concussed Loris Karius put that one on a plate for him in Kyiv in 2018.
Nonetheless, based on both recent history and prior experience, I think Karim Benzema is the better bet to win the individual battle on Saturday.
Premier League vs. La Liga
As football supporters, we’re dedicated tribalists. Next on the list is the narrative that pushes that tribalism to one of its natural resting places — nationalism.
For many decades, fans worldwide have debated the relative strength of England’s top-flight versus Spain’s La Liga. Saturday’s winner may decide that debate this season, although we should also discuss some other factors.
Lopsided La Liga
Real Madrid are the 2021-22 Champions of La Liga, having clinched their 35th title several weeks ago. They finished with 86 points, which left them 13 points clear of 2nd placed Barcelona. This extends Real’s already substantial historical lead over Barcelona which has won “only” 26 league titles. These numbers for Spain’s two top clubs illustrate a key historical difference between La Liga and England’s top-flight league: lack of balance. Since Diego Simeone’s arrival at Atletico Madrid in 2011, Atletico have competed seriously with Real and Barça at the top of La Liga. Indeed, Atletico won the league in both 2014 and 2021. But for much of La Liga’s history, Real Madrid and Barcelona were almost playing a different sport from everyone else in Spain.
By contrast, in England, Manchester United leads the pack with 20 top-flight league titles, shading Liverpool’s 19. Thus, the two most historically-dominant clubs in England have 17 fewer league titles between them compared with Spain’s top two.
As you may recall, Liverpool once again missed out on the Premier League title by one point to Manchester City. Man City won its eighth top-flight league title. This was City’s fourth in the last five seasons, and sixth since the club was purchased by Sheikh Mansour, a member of the ruling family of Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates.
Despite finishing second, Liverpool finished the league season with 92 points from 38 matches, six more points than Real Madrid earned from the same number of La Liga matches.
Most fans of the Premier League would contend that the English top-flight is better balanced. They’re right, although you can see the opposing viewpoint if the light is just right and you tilt your head just so…
We’ve already talked about how the league titles have been spread around much more evenly in England. But even if we just focus on the present, the Premier League is deeper than La Liga. The Spanish fans can point out that Villarreal won the Europa League last season and made it all the way to the semis of the Champions League this season, despite finishing only seventh this season in the league. They can also point to similar feats by Sevilla in recent years (notably, both of these clubs achieved excellence in European competitions under the same manager — Unai Emery). But, for the most part, there are only three studs in La Liga’s stable — Real, Barça, and Atleti.
In England, Man City and Liverpool have dominated the league over the last several years, but Chelsea won the Champions League last season (and in 2012) and Tottenham made it to the fInal in 2019. Manchester United has a rich European history, and Arsenal qualified for the Champions League 19 times in a row, making it as far as the FInal in 2006.
England has the better-balanced, deeper league.
The Posh, Popular Kids
Financially, there’s no doubt that the Premier League and its clubs are far healthier than their counterparts in Spain. The combined revenue of all 20 English Premier League (EPL) clubs is projected to be around 6.1 billion euros in the 2021/22 season. This means the Premier League clubs are likely to generate roughly three billion euros more than their counterparts in Spain and Germany, who rank second and third respectively. In other words, currently the Premier League is about twice as rich as La Liga, mostly due to the Premier League’s TV contracts worldwide. Clubs in both leagues have taken on massive debts, with Real, Barça, Chelsea, and Tottenham all carrying among the highest debt burdens, according to football business blogger, The Swiss Ramble. The Premier League is deffo the rich and popular girl.
Real Madrid: Owned and Operated by Its Supporters
Notably, however, the fans of both Real Madrid and FC Barcelona (along with the fans of Athletic Bilbao and and Osasuna) actually own and operate their own clubs through membership associations. This contrasts with the billionaires who own all of the Premier League clubs. As a friend of mine who is a Real fan recently reminded me: governance matters. While only four of La Liga’s clubs are fan-owned, that contrasts starkly against NONE of the Premier League clubs. Plus, fans own both of the two top dogs in La Liga. Even though C.F. Real Madrid and FC Barcelona are massive global businesses with huge revenue and expenses, their fans still own those businesses, and that’s a very attractive model. La Liga wins when it comes to club governance.
Which League Has the Best Football Team?
Finally, and most importantly for Saturday, which league plays better football at the tippity-top?
I’m always quick to point to the data, which indicate that Manchester City and Liverpool are the two best teams in the world. But, my Real Madrid friend points out that no one takes home a fivethirtyeight.com cup. You play the games for the shiny hardware, and just one team will take that home Saturday. Real has already knocked two of England’s three top teams out of the Champions League this season, with a great chance to complete the hat trick on Saturday. BUT, the data also suggest that Real Madrid has been riding a string of luck in its three knockout rounds against PSG, Chelsea, and Man City, despite losing the xG battle in all three of those two-legged ties.
Data algorithms aside, Saturday’s winner will win the debate on behalf of their league.
Jürgen Klopp vs. Carlo Ancelotti
I’m fond of this narrative, as I like both of these guys a lot.
Ancelotti is a legend. He is one of only three managers who has won the Champions League three times — with AC Milan in 2003 and 2007, and in his first stint at Real Madrid in 2014. He has won the English Premier League and FA Cups (both with Chelsea in 2010), the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich in 2017, and the Serie A title with AC Milan in 2004. He is also one of only three men who has won the European Cup as both a player and a manager.
Klopp has not been at it quite as long as Ancelotti, and he has managed far fewer clubs. But Klopp’s resumé is arguably just as good. He has won league titles with Mainz, in Germany’s second division (2004), and Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga (2011 and 2012). Notably, since Klopp’s Dortmund side won back-to-back titles ten years ago, German giants Bayern Munich have won every Bundesliga title since. Of course, Klopp also won the Premier League title in 2020 with Liverpool. Again, that Liverpool title interrupted the dominance of another giant, as Manchester City has won every other Premier League title since 2018.
Klopp has been in three previous Champions League Finals, but won only one of them, with Liverpool in 2019.
Ancelotti has been in four previous Finals, winning three. His only loss … [checks notes] … was to Liverpool in the Reds’ epic comeback win over AC Milan in Istanbul in 2005. Saturday he will become the only manager to compete in five Champions League Finals.
Head to head, the two managers have faced each other ten times. Klopp has won three, they have drawn three, and Ancelotti has won four.
In my opinion, the most relevant prior head-to-head matchups for assessing what might happen on Saturday are the four Champions League group-stage matches in which Klopp’s Liverpool faced Ancelotti’s Napoli in both 2018-19 and 2019-20. Liverpool won only once in those four matches against Napoli, despite having a dominant, world-class team during those two years (LFC won the Champions League in 2018-19, and won the Premier League in 2019-20). In that four-match collection, Ancelotti’s underdog Napoli team won twice, and the fourth match ended in a draw.
Ancelotti’s Napoli team that bested Liverpool across four games in 2018 and 2019 was very good, but still not as talented — and not nearly as accomplished — as the group he now has at Real Madrid. But tactically, the two teams are quite similar. Just as I expect will happen on Saturday, Ancelotti set up those Napoli teams to press high against Liverpool, while transitioning very quickly to drop deep once LFC bypassed the press. Napoli did a great job cutting off Liverpool’s preferred passing lanes to their forwards, effectively choking the attack. Across the four matches, Liverpool’s high-powered offense scored a total of two goals. Meanwhile, Napoli maintained a significant threat on the counterattack, which is likely to be even more effective for Real Madrid on Saturday.
There is absolutely no manager in the world that I would rather have at Liverpool than Jürgen Klopp, for a host of reasons, including his outstanding tactical mind. But, on the tactics front, in a head-to-head matchup against Carlo Ancelotti, I’m nervous. Very nervous.
What About the Football Match?
And that, dear friends, brings us — finally — to what I think is likely to happen in the actual match.
Both teams have used reasonably consistent lineups in the later stages of this tournament, so we have a pretty good idea of who will start on both sides in most positions. Nonetheless, there are still several positions that remain up for grabs.
Real Madrid’s Probable Starters
Real Madrid will start Thibaut Courtois in goal, and the enormous former Chelsea man is among the world’s best. Advanced goalkeeping stats from this season indicate that Courtois has saved at least five goals more than he would have been expected to save, based on shot position. This is 20% better than Alisson’s performance this season. Alisson prevented 4.1 goals more than would have been expected.
Real will play with a four-man defensive line, with Ferland Mendy at left back and (probably) Dani Carvajal at right back. Eder Militao will play at right center back, and the left center back slot will be filled by either Nacho or David Alaba, who is just returning from injury.
Real Madrid’s defense this season has been a bit shaky. In the Champions League, they have conceded 27 clear-cut scoring chances, while creating exactly the same number for themselves. By contrast, Liverpool have created 39 clear-cut chances, while giving up only 20. Similarly, Real Madrid have 19.2 expected goals, and their opponents have had 19.6. Liverpool have had 27 expected goals, while giving up 11.5. Statistics come courtesy of Andrew Beasley, @BassTunedToRed.
In the six matches during this season’s knockout rounds, against PSG, Chelsea, and Manchester City, Real Madrid’s defense has been vulnerable. They conceded 11 goals in those matches. More notably (at least to me), they allowed 10.4 expected goals (xGa) plus a penalty, while their attack generated only 7.8 xG, plus two penalties. Of course, despite this expected goal deficit, Real Madrid scored 14 actual goals in those matches, while their opponents scored only 11.
A Very Short Interlude About Expected Goals
For those of you who ARE NOT football stats nerds, I’m including the next two paragraphs to explain the concept of expected goals.
Expected goals (or xG) measures the quality of a chance by calculating the likelihood that it will be scored from a particular position on the pitch during a particular phase of play. This value is based on several factors from before the shot was taken. xG is measured on a scale between zero and one, where zero represents a chance that is impossible to score and one represents a chance that a player would be expected to score every single time.
Thus, looking at xG gives us a better idea of which team created the best opportunities to score in a match, compared with looking at the actual result. As football fans are often painfully reminded, the scoring of actual goals involves a ton of statistical variance. Put differently, there’s lots and lots of skill involved, but with respect to any given shot, there’s also quite a bit of luck.
OK. Statistics lesson over. Back to the football.
Real’s Incredible Midfielders
Real Madrid have an amazing collection of midfield options, but the three most likely starters are veterans Toni Kroos, Luka Modrić, and Casemiro — which is the same midfield Real started in the 2018 Final against Liverpool in Kyiv. Each of them are world-class. Casemiro provides the grit, Modrić rivals Liverpool’s Thiago as one of the most composed and elegant midfielders I have ever seen, and Toni Kroos provides terrific attacking edge.
If, however, Ancelotti wants to mix some younger legs into the starting lineup, he has plenty to choose from. Nineteen-year-old Frenchman Eduardo Camavinga typically plays as a defensive mid, where Casemiro usually sits. Camavinga subbed in toward the end of the second leg of the semifinal against Manchester City, and the teenager took control of the match.
Federico Valverde (23) offers another terrific, youthful option in midfield, although he also often plays as a right forward. Dani Ceballos (25) and Isco (30) are also excellent players, although neither has played a huge role this season.
Real’s Forward Line: Phenomenal Speed Flanking the Best Scorer on the Planet
In Real Madrid’s forward line, we know that Vinicius, Jr. will start on the left wing, and that Karim Benzema will play as the central striker. Vinicius (21) has incredible speed and skill. Vini, Jr. is a classic inverted winger, capable of coming in from the left on his dominant right foot to curl it past the keeper on the far post. Real constantly use Vinicius as a counterattacking outlet by kicking long diagonals toward empty space on his side, and letting him use his speed to go get the ball. He often runs past the defense, then either finds an easy centering pass to Benzema, or finishes himself.
The forward slot on the right side could go either to youngster Rodrygo, or to the versatile Valverde. Rodrygo, like Vini, Jr., is another incredibly fast winger, except Rodrygo plays on his strong-footed side. This means he’s slightly more likely to beat the opposition fullback on the outside, rather than cutting inside. Nonetheless, Rodrygo is also a very natural goal-scorer, so he often drifts toward the middle of the pitch. As a substitute, he was the man with the magical moments at the end of the dramatic, come-from-behind win against Manchester City. With Real down by two goals, Rodrygo scored twice — in the 90th and 91st minute — to send the match into extra time, where Real Madrid prevailed.
In the first leg of the semifinal against Manchester City, Real Madrid’s counterattack posed a constant threat, creating a host of terrific chances. The bad news for Real was that they were conceding even better scoring chances at the other end. In the second leg, Real did a better job of containing City’s attack, while Real’s attack still managed to pull off the game-saving miracles at the end.
Real Madrid will hope to create those same counterattacking chances on Saturday, sending their speedy wingers buzzing behind LFC’s very high defensive line, with Benzema trailing as a very effective target in the middle. I’ll be surprised if they don’t score a goal or two that way.
But the Reds Will Also Create Problems for Real Madrid
Writing the section above about Real Madrid’s fabulous set of attackers threatens to depress me. But now I will self-medicate by writing about the beautiful team on the other side.
In goal will be Alisson Becker. Like Courtois, he is among the world’s best. Notably, Alisson particularly thrives when facing one-on-one opportunities against an attacker who has bypassed LFC’s defensive line. He is exceptional at charging down the attacker in such situations, cutting down the shooting angles, and then smothering the shot. I suspect he will face a few such chances on Saturday.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is a Very Bad Man
LFC’s right back will be Trent Alexander-Arnold. TAA is almost certainly the best attacking fullback in the world. Over the past four seasons, Alexander-Arnold has more assists than any other player in the Premier League, including this season’s Player of the Year, Kevin de Bruyne. And Trent is a defender.
Andy Robertson Is a Dog of War
On the other side of the pitch, left back Andy Robertson runs, and runs, and runs some more. Robbo is fast, he is tireless, and he presses like a madman. He also crosses with precision, enjoys incredible interchanges with whoever plays as the left-sided forward (on Saturday, that’s most likely to be Luis Díaz). He’s ALMOST as likely as Trent to provide an assist. And Robertson also defends extremely well, whether one-on-one or when providing positional cover.
Van Dijk is Simply the Best
The left-sided center back is Virgil Van Dijk, who most observers believe is the best defender in the world. As I set out in my Season Preview months ago, “his presence dramatically changes the way that we play — not for any one reason, but for a whole slew of them.” He is strong, he is fast, he is calm, he is smart, and he is commanding. He rarely loses an aerial battle. His presence gives tthis Liverpool team, because his organization of the defense is critical, and his transitional passes provide an important foundation for the attack.
VVD will do his best to keep Karim Benzema quiet. Even Van Dijk is unlikely to succeed in doing that for the full match, but he is probably more likely to do it than anyone else would be.
Konaté or Matip? Either Will Do
The right-sided center back spot is one of the few positions we can’t predict with certainty. Young Ibrahim Konaté has gotten most of the starts in the Champions League this season, and his combination of size and speed probably make him the best fit against a Real Madrid attack that features both. But Joël Matip would provide the calmer, more experienced presence. I’m guessing it will be Konaté, but a start for Matip would certainly not come as a shock.
Crossing our Fingers for Thiago and Fabinho
In midfield, we know who the PREFERRED starters are — we just don’t know if injury will allow them to be available. Both Fabinho and Thiago are questionable for Saturday, although it currently appears like they are both likely to play. Of course, the physios may decide that one or both of them is only fit enough to come off the bench. UPDATE: today Jürgen Klopp announced that the fitness of both players “looks good.” Hallelujah!
As always, Thiago’s presence would be likely to make a huge difference. His timing and technique make him one of the most press-resistant footballers in the world. When he prepares to receive a pass, his head swivels quickly to check the location of every outfield player on the pitch. When he gets it, he uses his head and torso to misdirect the defenders, while using his lower body to send the ball to the open area of the pitch that no one else even realized was there. Thiago is a magical space-creation machine.
If Thiago is unavailable, Naby Keïta will start in his place. He too can create something out of nothing, albeit with a different approach. Keïta’s most influential asset, however, is his pressing, which is likely to wreak havoc whenever he makes his appearance.
Skipper Jordan Henderson will provide stability, leadership, and tempo from the right side of midfield. He constantly pushes his teammates and harasses the opposition — and, when appropriate, the referee.
Fabinho provides the anchor, as Liverpool’s version of Casemiro. He covers and mops up for the defense, and also pushes the midfield press forward when the other side is vulnerable.
A Nearly-Unstoppable Forward Line: Díaz-Mané-Salah
The forward line will almost certainly be Díaz, Mané, and Salah.
Díaz and Salah on the wings are probably not as fast as their counterparts Rodrygo and Vinicius. But they are even more likely to create problems for the defense. Díaz plays with his food while dribbling — employing a confusing, herky-jerky approach that generally ends with defenders trailing his wake. He often appears to be out of control, and he almost never is. His deliberate heavy touches draw the defender, who then finds himself bypassed when Díaz gets to the ball first.
Despite his relatively poor scoring form over the last few months, Mo Salah will attract a host of Real Madrid defenders, which creates space for everyone else in LFC’s attack. As Salah’s assists numbers show, he will often find the right man at the right time. It’s extraordinary how much time we spend talking about the poor form of a guy who led the Premier League this season in assists, and was also the co-winner of the Golden Boot Award for most goals scored. If you’re looking for a likely LFC hero, Salah is still the most likely candidate.
Meanwhile, Sadio Mané has thrived since Díaz’s arrival in January pushed him to the middle. As a striker, Mané combines the speed necessary to run behind the defense, and the touch, strength, and playmaking skills to drop deeper and act as the “False 9” who brings other attackers into play. He has bagged 11 goals since returning victorious from the African Cup of Nations in February. He scored Liverpool’s lone goal against Real Madrid in the 2018 FInal, and he will be looking to add to the tally on Saturday.
Press Intensely and Strike Quickly
Tactically, Liverpool will do what they do. Press high, with intensity. Push the defensive line forward as far as possible, compacting the defense and making it difficult for Real Madrid to get out of their own half. When gaining possession, LFC will look to strike quickly, with a few incisive passes leading to a high-value shot. When the counterattack doesn’t come off, LFC will move the defense with a long series of passes, before finding the right ball — perhaps a lofted diagonal — to cut open the defense.
In transition, LFC will scramble to get back into shape on the occasions when Real Madrid manages to get behind the defense. Alisson will need both to sweep up when he can get to the through passes before the onrushing attacker, or stifle the one-on-one chances when he can’t.
I think there will be lots of chances in this one. Ancelotti has done well stifling LFC’s offense in the past, but this 2021-22 version of Liverpool has even more weapons and more ways of scoring than the teams that Napoli shut down a few years ago.
For what it’s worth, my prediction is:
Liverpool 3 – Real Madrid 2 (no extra time)
Up the MIghty Cup-Winning Reds! Here’s to the treble!
If you made it this far, Congratulations! And thank you, dear reader. Enjoy the match.
