Champions League final: Real Madrid flies to Paris with interesting squad list

Real Madrid CF flew to Paris earlier this week to face Liverpool FC in the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League final on Saturday, May 28, at the Stade de France. The club released the squad list on Thursday, and there are a number of notable names worth talking about.

Of course, there are the usual suspects like Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior, who are both expected to start in the final. The attacking duo had been at the forefront of Real Madrid's success this season, largely sharing the scoring duties. Apart from those two, Rodrygo has been impressive this season, rescuing the club on more than one occasion especially in the Champions League.

The midfield trio of Toni Kroos, Casemiro and Luka Modric are also fit to play, and are expected to be the backbone of the squad. At the back, the lineup is not as clear, with Alaba coming off an injury. Apart from the Austrian, Mendy, Militao, Nacho and Carvajal had been sharing most of the minutes this campaign, with Vallejo also gaining the manager's confidence in recent games.

Between the posts, the clear choice is Thibaut Courtois, who is in the spotlight due to the fact that this is his first chance to win the UCL title with Real Madrid. Not only that, he admitted to having been the butt of jokes in the dressing room after having been the keeper for the other side when Los Blancos won their tenth title in Lisbon in 2014.

On the attack, Eden Hazard is in the squad, and even though he probably won't start, many are hoping he will get some minutes in this important match. Hazard has spent most of his Real Madrid career in the recovery room, but he has endeared himself to fans for his constant determination to redeem himself and give the club its money's worth.

Meanwhile, Gareth Bale also flew to Paris, despite also having been in a fragile state for the past several years. He has missed all of the club's crucial games this season, and he has been a depressing sight whenever he actually made it to the bench. Nevertheless, Real Madrid's UCL history won't be what it is if not for Bale's contributions since La Decima, and the constant replays in the past weeks have reminded fans of his legendary status. He is expected to bid farewell to the club after this match, and many are wondering if he could possibly score one last amazing goal.

In the same way, Marcelo may play his last match for Real Madrid tonight, even though he has been vocal about wanting to renew. the club has not offered a renewal. It remains to be seen if the Brazilian will put in a performance that will convince the club authorities to make him an offer.