Karim Benzema against Sadio Mané, Carlo Ancelotti against Jürgen Klopp, the revenge of Mohamed Salah, tens of thousands of fans arriving from England and Spain in the French capital: everything is ready for "the most important match in football world", as the Italian coach says.

The "White House" can extend its incredible record with a 14th victory, and the "Reds" conquer a seventh and join AC Milan in second place among the European giants.

Final of the Champions League 2021-2022 Vincent LEFAI AFP

Liverpool-Real becomes the first poster played three times in the C1 final, but this classic is furiously modern: beyond the heritage issue between two football emblems, the final should also clarify the duel for the Ballon d'Or between Karim Benzema the Madrilenian and the "Red" Sadio Mané.

The winner would become the big favorite for the prestigious individual award.

"Benz" sublimated Real this season in C1, with 15 achievements, also winning the 35th title of Spanish champion of Madrid and the first coronation of France in the League of Nations.

Karim Benzema on the Stade de France pitch on May 27, 2022, during Real Madrid training on the eve of their final against Liverpool in the Champions League JAVIER SORIANO AFP

Mané missed out on the Premier League by one point, edged out by Manchester City, but won both domestic Cups in England and guided Senegal to their first African Cup on February 6 against partner Mohamed's Egypt Salah (0-0, 4 tab to 3).

The latter, another candidate for the Ballon d'Or, had to abandon the previous Real-Liverpool final (3-1), in 2018, injured after a muscular intervention by Sergio Ramos.

A beautiful more than a revenge

So, if Klopp "doesn't find that wanting to take revenge is a terrible idea", his teammate and captain Jordan Henderson can understand it, "from the point of view of + Mo +".

Photo montage of Liverpool and Real Madrid strikers, Egyptian Mohamed Salah, on April 13 against Benfica, and Frenchman Karim Benzema, on April 30 against Espanyol, who will face each other in the Champions League final , May 28, 2022 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis Paul ELLIS, GABRIEL BOUYS AFP / Archives

"I'm very motivated, fully motivated," Salah warns, "after what happened with Madrid last time. I remember when I came out after about 30 minutes. It was the worst moment of my career. I was really, really demoralized at the time."

Rather than a revenge, it is a beautiful one, since Liverpool had won the first final, in 1981 (1-0), at the Parc des Princes, at a time when the Stade de France did not exist.

Paris has not seen so many football fans since Euro-2016.

In all, 6,800 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters are mobilized by the Paris Police Prefecture to ensure the security of the match, with an eye on the 30,000 to 40,000 supporters of the "Reds" who could land in Paris without a ticket.

A police patrol on the Champs Élysées in Paris on May 27, 2022, the day before the Champions League final Liverpool-Real Madrid Thomas COEX AFP

The English club has also set up its own "fan zone" near the Cours de Vincennes.

The duel between the legendary white jerseys and the mythical red tunics is not just a piece of history, it is also football news.

This is the third final in five years for Liverpool FC, crowned in 2019;

the fifth in nine years for the "White House", which signed a sumptuous hat-trick from 2016 to 2018.

Ancelotti-Klopp duel

The final also offers a superb coaching duel.

Twice unfortunate finalists, with Dortmund in 2013 and Liverpool in 2018, the German Jürgen Klopp learned to win the following year.

On the other bench, the Italian "Mister" Carlo Ancelotti, who directs his men with an eyebrow movement, is a great specialist in the event, which he has already won three times, with AC Milan (2003 , 2007) and during a first visit to Madrid (2014).

He also won it twice as a player.

Real Madrid's Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti during training at the Stade de France, on the eve of the Champions League final against Liverpool on May 27, 2022 JAVIER SORIANO AFP

However, a final against Liverpool also reminds him of the worst memory of his career: in 2005, his Milan led 3-0 at the break before being recovered in six minutes by the Reds and losing on penalties (3 -3, 3 tab to 2).

But this season, it is the Real of "Carletto" who has specialized in fantastic comebacks.

Regularly dominated on the lawn at each turn, the people of Madrid went to the "grinta" each time.

Swallowed PSG (0-1, 3-1), jostled Chelsea (3-1, 2-3 ap), overthrown - in two minutes!

- Manchester City (3-4, 3-1 aet).

The Liverpool coach during a press briefing at the club's training center on May 25, 2022, three days before the C1 final Paul ELLIS AFP / Archives

With a stunning scenario, this final would really go down in history.

© 2022 AFP