Mayra Madrigal
The UEFA Champions League will have a new champion on May 28: the day the grand final between Liverpool and Real Madrid will be played. We took on the task of compiling this article to refresh your memory in case you don’t recall which teams won the last five finals or who was the champion in the previous five years.
Both Liverpool and Real Madrid have attended two Champions League finals in the last five years, and in one of them they faced each other. Do you remember?
This Saturday they will see each other once again, this time at the Stade de France (France Stadium), located in Saint-Denis, but while we wait for the duel, let’s review the last 5 finals that this tournament has given us.
Manchester City vs. Chelsea – UEFA Champions League 20/21
Many agree that the Premier League is the best league in the world, especially because of the pace at which teams play. On May 29, 2021, the Champions League had an all-English final for the second time in five years, where Manchester City and Chelsea faced each other. It was expected to be a final with many goals, but in the end one goal was what defined the champion. The German Kai Havertz at minute 42 scored the goal that would give Chelsea its second “orejona.”
Paris Saint-Germain vs Bayern Munich – UEFA Champions League 19/20
PSG and Bayern staged a lackluster final. More was expected of both sides after they had dominated their previous encounters, especially the Germans, who were the clear favorites. However, it was an atypical final, since due to the Covid-19 pandemic it had to be played behind closed doors at the Estadio da Luz in Portugal. At half time the score remained zero, but at minute 59 Kingsley Coman gave Bayern the winning goal. With 1-0, the Teutons obtained their sixth title of the European competition.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool – UEFA Champions League 18/19
The finalists, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, faced up to each other on June 1, 2019 at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. The English final promised emotion, since the two teams had shown a good level, but the one that looked better was Liverpool, who for the second consecutive year was in the final of the tournament. We didn’t have to wait long to see the superiority of the “Reds”, since at minute two they went ahead on the scoreboard, after the whistler decreed a maximum penalty. The Egyptian Mohamed Salah was the author of that goal. Both teams sought the goal for minutes, but it wasn’t until the 87th minute when Divock Origi placed the final 2-0 on the scoreboard. With this, the “Reds”. won their sixth Champions’ title.
Real Madrid vs Liverpool – UEFA Champions League 17/18
Liverpool and Real Madrid met on May 26, 2018 at the Olympic Stadium in Kyiv: the second time they had met in a final of the highest European competition at club level. That game was a great show, as each team had their best elements on the pitch to carry out the strategy. Karim Benzema opened the scoring at minute 51, and Sadio Mané responded at minute 55 to level the score. Gareth Bale became the hero of that match since he scored at 66′ and 83′ for the “Merengues” to win their thirteenth Champions League. It is the Spanish team’s last title to date.
Juventus vs. Real Madrid – UEFA Champions League 16/17
Juventus and Real Madrid were the protagonists of the final held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, on June 3, 2017. This match had plenty of emotions from start to finish. Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 20th minute, but seven minutes later Mario Mandzukic made it 1-1 on the scoreboard, to go evenly into the break. In the second half, it was Real Madrid who came out more offensively prepared. Casemiro again gave the advantage to the “Merengues” at 61′, and at 64′ CR7 extended it. Marco Asencio sealed the 4-1 win, and the Madrid team won their twelfth Champions League in the team’s history.
