In this week’s exclusive Rivaldo tells us why he can’t split Liverpool and Real Madrid in the Champions League final, and that Cristiano Ronaldo can still play a big part in the competition…
“Man City will have left Madrid with that feeling of losing a huge chance to kill the match earlier, and as consequence failing again to claim the Champions League title.”
As I mentioned last week after that fantastic first leg, I was anxious to watch
the Champions League second leg as I was anticipating another huge match between two great teams.
And that really happened with Real Madrid never giving up thanks to the
fans support and their tradition in the competition.
That helped them to comeback from the shadows at the end of the match after Manchester City wasted golden opportunities to close out the tie.
I also think that Pep Guardiola made some mistakes with his substitutions (it
happens to everyone) by preferring to hold his advantage instead of going
to kill his opponent up front, and Real Madrid took advantage of that to
produce an incredible comeback in the final minutes.
So, I can only congratulate Real Madrid for showing why they are so successful in this competition by fighting until the end, even when their performance was not as expected.
Man City will have left Madrid with that feeling of losing a huge chance to kill the match earlier, and as consequence failing again to claim the Champions League title.
Liverpool are very self-confident and don’t get scared easily
Liverpool is the other finalist after a few scares in the first half
against Villarreal, but Jurgen Klopp’s troops are aware of their own
capabilities and ended up producing a solid second-half performance.
Now, we’ll have a great final between two of the most traditional clubs in
the tournament and I can not say which is the favourite at the moment.
They are both very strong in their domestic leagues this season and
managed to replicate it abroad, so, I’m sure it’s going to be a great match in
which both teams can win as anything can happen in a final.
Cristiano Ronaldo still has enough football to compete in Champions League
With Manchester United almost out of the Champions League next season,
rumours are growing about the possibility of Cristiano Ronaldo leaving the
club to join a team competing in Europe’s biggest club competition.
In my opinion, he still shows enough fitness, willingness and enjoyment on
the pitch to help his teams, so, I see him playing for any of Europe’s top
clubs next season, but he may prefer to wait a few more months to see
where he might fit in after other signings take place.
Source: Betfair Champions League
