Liverpool sensation Mohamed Salah is relishing facing Real Madrid in the final of the Champions League after the Spanish giants produced a stunning comeback against Manchester City on Wednesday night.
Trailing 1-0 on the night and 5-3 on aggregate as the semi-final at the Bernabeu reached its dying stages, Madrid, from nowhere, forced the game to extra-time, thanks to quick-fire goals from substitute Rodrygo. For his first goal, he cleverly flicked Karim Benzema's cutback past Ederson before, just a minute later, heading home Dani Carvajal's cross from the right.
That forced the contest to extra-time with the scores level at 5-5 on aggregate, meaning a pulsating 30 minutes lie in waiting. However, Madrid completed one of the most famous semi-final comebacks of all time when Benzema netted his 43rd goal of the season from the penalty spot, sealing a 6-5 aggregate triumph for Carlo Ancelotti's side.
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It means that City's dream of ending their wait to lift their maiden Champions League crown has been placed on hold for at least another 12 months, meaning that this year's final will be contested between Liverpool and Madrid. Liverpool survived a scare of their own on Tuesday evening, seeing off Villarreal, winning the second-leg 3-2 to win 5-2 on aggregate.
Therefore, the contest in Paris later this month will see a repeat of the 2018 Champions League final in Kyiv, in which Madrid toppled Liverpool by winning 3-1. After Sadio Mane had cancelled out Karim Benzema's opener, Madrid got the job done thanks to an impressive Gareth Bale brace.
Having been beaten by Madrid four years ago, Salah, who has scored eight goals on route to the final this season, will be gunning for revenge, in an attempt to help Liverpool lift their seventh Champions League/European Cup crown. And he certainly made no secret of the fact following the events in the Bernabeu on Wednesday night.
On Twitter, the Egyptian said: "We have a score to settle."
Liverpool, despite being beaten in the final in 2018, went one better the following year, beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid. Salah scored from the penalty spot that evening, meaning he will be keen to add to his collection of Champions League final goals this time around.
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