UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL 2014 PREVIEW | REAL MADRID-ATLETICO DE MADRID

Tomorrow Saturday 24th of May at around 21.50 (Lisbon, Portugal) time, either Real Madrid CF or Atletico de Madrid will be proclaimed UEFA Champions League season 2013-2014 winners. This naturally will be the case if the Final between these two Spanish Football Clubs does not go into extra-time or later into a penalty shoot-out.

Real Madrid CF Team photo season 2013-2014

Both teams have already given their pre-match press conferences & both teams have trained on the Lisbon (Benfica - "Estadio da Luz") playing field for tomorrow. All questions, all eyes & all Sports media cameras were focused on the players from both teams under a "injury cloud" for the Final.

The end result is still blurred & "up in the air" for some players. From Atletico de Madrid Arda Turan looked OK, as did Diego Costa who may have held himself back somewhat, except for a positive hard spirit that lifted hopes.

Real Madrid saw a confident & free flowing Cristiano Ronaldo who should play, but Pepe & Karim Benzema did not answer either way the questions or solve the doubts if they will make it. All I can say after watching both squads on TV is that they all seemed to be moving OK.Tomorrow all questions will be answered & all doubts will be cleared.

Atletico de Madrid Team photo season 2013-2014

Thus speculation on tomorrows starting XI team line-ups is still just that, speculation as the training sessions did not reveal much nor diminish pre existing doubts. I get the feeling both teams are hiding their "cards".

From here all my best wishes to both team - obviously as a Atletico de Madrid fan my heart will be with them - & may the better team win.

I will be out tomorrow night on a personal affair but will be watching the Final. I will not be able to give all the post-match details & photos so please forgive me readers, but will be posting Sunday all the images of the teams & the celebrating Club with will be from Madrid either way.

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REAL MADRID - ATLETICO DE MADRID CHAMPIONS FINAL | POSSIBLE STARTING TEAM LINE-UPS

Everything is in place for tomorrows UEFA Champions League Cup Final that hails the end of the European Football season. Two Spanish Football Clubs, Real Madrid CF & Atletico de Madrid, will meet 19.45 (Lisbon, Portugal time) to fight it out between themselves to claim the maximum European Football title. Atletico de Madrid goes in on a roll after claiming last weekend the Spanish Liga Title & are full of hope & dreams to claim their first ever European Cup. The other opponent, Real Madrid, goes in with an almost "psychotic obsession" to claim their 10th European Cup, added pressure that could take its toll.

However, apart from the "brain factors", the talk is about the possible starting team line-ups with both Clubs hit by important injuries. Real Madrid go into Saturdays Final with Cristiano Ronaldo under a cloud, along with Pepe & Benzema. Added to all this Xabi Alonso cannot play due to yellow card accumulation & will sit with the crowd. Atletico de Madrid has two injury worries, the first Arda Turan who looks positive & Diego Costa who seems to have overcome a leg-muscle injury in a "mircale" fashion after visiting controversial Serbian Dr. Kovacevic.

Both sides have last training sessions planned & will test their doubtful players & then make the decision if they will start in tomorrows final. Local Football observers & media insiders have already speculated with the starting XI line-ups of both Real Madrid-At Madrid for tomorrows UEFA Championship Final. I will give my idea of what I think may be the starting teams for both Clubs after checking all the local media sources & counter-checking with all the last minute news coming out of Lisbon. 

The speculated starting XI team line-up for Real Madrid is (4-4-2):

• Iker Casillas
• Carvajal
• Varane ( Pepe will not make it)
• Sergio Ramos
• Coentrao
• Illaramendi
• Modric
• Di Maria
• Isco
• Cristiano Ronaldo
• Gareth Bale

Karim Benzema will start on the bench. The Frenchmen is adamant that he can start & will have a final exam this afternoon/evening,  but there is doubt with the technical team.

The speculated starting XI team line-up for Atletico de Madrid is (4-3-3):

• Courtois
• JuanFran
• Miranda
• Godin
• Luis Felipe
• Tiago ( or Mario Suarez )
• Gabi
• Koke
• Arda Turan
• David Villa
• Diego Costa ( if not Raul Garcia)

Diego Costa will risk. However, predicting the line-up of Atletico de Madrid is difficult. Simeone seems to be playing "mid games" with his line-up & may well surprise. There is talk that Sosa could start & that perhaps Villa will not. Lets not forget Adrian could start if Costa finally fails to make it. Coach Simeone has more resources available & more possible line-up combinations to play around with.

In both cases, & at this relative early stage, the above announced starting teams from my part are pure speculations. The final XI will not be known until 45 minutes before the kick-off & I am almost certain there will be surprises from both teams.

Good luck to both Clubs & may the better team win.

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