On Saturday, Real Madrid will face Liverpool in the 15th UEFA Champions League final of their history, the most by any football team. Los Blancos have won 13 of the 14 finals they've played so far, which explains why Madridistas feel that "Finals aren't played, they're won."
Let us take a trip down memory lane by going through each and every Champions League final played by Real Madrid, starting with the finals played under the European League period, as we are just a day away from the biggest game of the season.
Real Madrid (Photo courtesy of Getty Images/Keystone) )
1. A 4-3 victory over Reims in 1955/56 (Paris)
This final, held at the Parc des Princes, is the epitome of suspense. Reims got off to a flying start, scoring twice in the first ten minutes. Soon after, the famous Alfredo Di Stefano pulled one back, and Hector Rial equalized following a well-executed team move. Reims took the lead again through Hidalgo, but the comeback kings came back to win the first edition of the European Cup with goals from Marquitos and Hector Rial.
2. A 2-0 victory over Florentina in 1956/57 (Madrid)
The team of superstars improved over time, winning the 1957 European Cup final in style at the club's home field, Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. The game was attended by approximately 124,000 people, all of whom were happy to see their favorite home team win. In the 69th minute, Alfredo di Stefano converted a penalty, and Paco Gento, one of the greatest Real Madrid legends of all time, extended the advantage with a trademark Paco Gento goal, surpassing the defenders and chipping it over the keeper.
3. 3-2 victory over Milan in 1957/58 (Brussels)
Real Madrid won a hat-trick of European titles in the first three seasons of the renowned competition, defeating Milan in another dramatic match. The Rossoneri took the lead in the 59th minute with a fantastic goal, but Real Madrid didn't let them get away with it, as Alfredo Di Stefano quickly equalized with a beautiful half-volley. Milan regained the lead again soon after, but Hector Rial's incredible left-footed volley sent the game to extra time, where Paco Gento secured the trophy for the third time in a row with a late winner.
4. 2-0 victory over Reims in 1958/1959 (Stuttgart)
The trophy was won for the fourth time in a final versus Reims, the team that had beaten Real Madrid in the first edition. Real, on the other hand, were able to complete the task under complete control this time. They showed their superiority early away, with Enrique Mateos scoring a trivela goal from a tight angle in the first minute. Later in the first half, the squad missed a penalty, but Don Di Stefano assured that Madrid would win the European Cup with a long-range goal in the second half.
5. Eintracht Frankfurt is defeated 7-3. (Glasgow)
Five European Cups in five years can only be described in one word: dominance. This final, in which Frankfurt was totally overwhelmed by Real, can be described in the same way. The German club did score in the 18th minute, but the rest of the game was a shambles. In the final, Alfredo Di Stefano scored a hat-trick, and Ferenc Puskas sealed the fifth with a poker on the trot.
The team's manager throughout the five-peat era, Miguel Munoz, deserves a lot of credit for this feat.
Real Madrid (Photo courtesy of AFP/ADRIAN DENNIS via Getty Images)
6. 2-1 victory over Partizan in 1965/66 (Brussels)
The club had to wait for the next final after winning five in five years. The wait was cut short as the team defeated Partizan of Yugoslavia 2-1 to win its sixth European Cup title. Legends such as Di Stefano, Puskas, and Hector Rial all left the club, but Paco Gento remained and led the team to triumph. With Partizan breaking the deadlock and late goals from Amaro Amancio and Fernando Serena, who scored a screamer from afar, the La Sexta was secured.
7. 1980/81 1-0 loss to Liverpool (Paris)
Real Madrid's only Champions League final defeat came against Liverpool in Paris, which is both the opposition and host city for tomorrow's match. Alan Kennedy scored the game-winning goal in the 82nd minute against a wasteful Real Madrid side. Some of the superstars who participated in that final, such as Juanito and Santillana, were heartbroken, but Real Madrid is a club that knows how to accept defeat.
8. 1-0 victory over Juventus in 1997/98 (Amsterdam)
Real Madrid won a tough game against a star-studded Juventus side that included Zinedine Zidane and Alessandro Del Piero. Predrag Mijatovic scored the game-winning goal. Fernando Hierro, Roberto Carlos, and Captain Manolo Sanchis formed a rock-solid defense throughout the game. Although the team had a difficult domestic season, Jupp Heynckes ensured that his team performed when it mattered most, leading the club to La Septima.
9. 3-0 victory over Valencia in 1999/00 (Paris)
The eighth title was won with a 3-0 victory over domestic rivals Valencia. Fernando Morientes scored the game's first goal with a header, which set the tone for the rest of the game. After several tries during the game, Steve McManaman scored a fantastic right-footed volley, then Raul finished the game with an easy finish after around the goalie.
10. 2-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the 2001/02 season (Glasgow)
One of the all-time great championship games. The match began with a goal from the ever-present Capitan Raul Gonzalez, but Leverkusen quickly equalized from a set-piece. But then, in the season's biggest game, Zinedine Zidane scored "that" left-footed volley. That score should've been enough to win the La Novena for Real Madrid, but it required late heroics from Iker Casillas (who was put on for an injured Cesar Sanchez).
Sergio Ramos, Real Madrid (Photo courtesy of Getty Images/Laurence Griffiths)
11. 4-1 victory over Atletico Madrid in 2013/14 (Lisbon)
In my opinion, the greatest Champions League final of all time. For the most part, Carlo Ancelotti's side had the game under control, but Diego Godin's first-half strike gave Atletico de Madrid the psychological upper hand. The game was nearly over when Sergio Ramos decided to rise to the occasion and score a header as the clock struck the 92nd minute and 48th second. With that goal, the game went to extra time, when a half-fit Gareth Bale, Marcelo, and a half-fit Cristiano Ronaldo polished it off to win the long-awaited and elusive La Decima.
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