Karim Benzema believes Real Madrid know exactly what they will come up against in Paris - claiming Liverpool “haven’t changed much over the years”.
On Saturday night, the LaLiga champions take on the Premier League runners-up in a mouthwatering contest to decide the kings of Europe. It’s a rematch of the 2018 final which Los Blancos won and last season’s quarter final which had the same result.
It’s a vastly different Liverpool side from the one which lined up against Madrid in 2021 however, with the Reds having finally overcome their chronic injury issues. In that encounter Jurgen Klopp was forced to start Ozan Kabak and Nat Phillips in central defence due to the injuries suffered by Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez.
Luis Diaz was also signed in January of this year, bolstering Klopp’s attacking actions and making them near-impossible to stop since the turn of the year. But Benzema, who has blazed a trail this year in the Champions League, thinks his side have the gameplan to overcome their opponents in the Stade de France.
"They're very good,” he explained. “They haven't changed much over the years. But in the end we have to look at our game. And if we do our thing, then what happens happens. I'm confident."
Madrid go into the final on the back of a memorable campaign which has seen them complete memorable comebacks against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and most recently Manchester City.
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Those come-from-behind victories have all come at the Santiago Bernabeu and as a result of incessant pressure on their opponents. And Benzema has predicted that against Liverpool, they will need to implement a style similar to the one they adopted in the first leg vs City, rooted in rapid counter-attacks.
He added: “You play away, not at home. They put a lot of pressure on you. You have to hold on and play on the counterattack... or with the ball.”
Dani Carvajal offered a similarly intriguing glimpse into Carlo Ancelotti’s tactics for the showpiece final, hinting they will look to break Liverpool’s strangling press and then create transitions quickly up the field.
"If we get past that first line of pressure we can create a lot of danger. It could be one of the keys to the game,” the Madrid defender added.
In a team brimming with experience in Champions League final success, Thibaut Courtois is one of the exceptions to the rule, hoping to lift the European Cup for the first time in his career. But the former Chelsea keeper has plenty of experience of playing against Liverpool to call upon and called on his colleagues to exploit their advanced defensive line.
The Belgian said: "Each game is different. Playing against them is always fascinating. Anything can happen. It's a dream to play for Madrid and even more so to be able to add something to the history of this club. What we've experienced this season with the fans has been incredible"
"It's a great team, very intense, that plays with high pressure. We'll have to defend well. They throw the line very high and we'll have to take advantage of it."
