Our staff ranked the top 30 players in this match, and No. 1 was pretty easy. You can read the entire story here, but here's how we ranked the top three: 3. Virgil van Dijk, center back, Liverpool After coming back from an ACL injury in his right knee that forced him to miss the entire 2020-21 season, he's now fully back at the center of the Liverpool's defense and he will have the most difficult task of the night to contain Karim Benzema. This is probably the most important duel on the pitch and will likely determine the final result. -- Francesco Porzio 2. Mohamed Salah, right winger, Liverpool Even amid his recent struggles for form, Salah's class shines through and he ended the 2021-22 Premier League season as the winner of the scoring and assisting titles. Having shaken off a minor injury from the FA Cup final, expect to see the Egyptian burst out of the blocks in a bid to get revenge for the injury and defeat that Madrid inflicted on him four years ago. -- James Benge 1. Karim Benzema, center forward, Real Madrid Three goals and an assist across two thrilling semifinal legs against Manchester City further underlined the French superstar's Ballon d'Or credentials. The 34-year-old now stands to seal what could be his fifth Champions League crown with Los Blancos -- a truly incredible feat made all the more impressive by his tournament-leading overall tally of 15 goals with two more assists. Benzema has dragged this Real side, single handedly at times, to be on the cusp of what would be their 14th competition success. Not to mention that this one could be won in his homeland. -- Jonathan Johnson
LIVE Champions League final: Liverpool, Real Madrid clash in Paris
Welcome to ESPN's LIVE coverage of the 2021-22 Champions League final! Premier League giants Liverpool take on LaLiga champions Real Madrid in a repeat of the 2018 final. The match in Paris kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET / 8:30 p.m. BST due to delays getting fans into the stadium, though can follow all the prematch build-up as well as key moments and talking points from the match as it happens right here from Chris Wright and our team of writers at the Stade de France. Just refresh the page to get the latest updates. - Marcotti: Liverpool vs. Real Madrid final will be box office- O'Hanlon: Can science explain Real Madrid's remarkable run? (E+)- Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)- Don't have ESPN? Get instant access 3:09 p.m. ET / 8:09 p.m. BST: KICKOFF DELAYED ANOTHER 15 MINUTES UEFA has pushed the start time back to 3:30 p.m. ET (8:30 p.m. BST) in order to make sure fans are in the stadium safely. Our story on the delays is HERE. The delays mean that both teams are back out to warm up again/stay warmed up. 3:05 p.m. ET / 8:05 p.m. BST A reminder of your starting lineups! LIVERPOOL: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago; Salah, Mane, Diaz. REAL MADRID: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Mendy; Modric, Casemiro, Kroos; Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius. After all, we're expecting a game in roughly 10 minutes... 2:59 p.m. ET / 7:59 p.m. BST Chaotic scenes outside the ground as UEFA cite "late arrival of fans" as the reason for kick-off being delayed. Those hundreds of supporters who have been waiting idly outside for the last few hours unable to enter through the crowded turnstiles would probably beg to differ. 2:50 p.m ET / 7:50 p.m BST: KICKOFF DELAYED BY 15 MINUTES Breaking news from Paris... The delay is due to issues with Liverpool fans safely getting into the stadium after some bottlenecks and congestion heading towards the gates. 2:44 p.m. ET / 7:44 p.m. BST: Real Madrid's veteran left-back Marcelo's stock has dipped of late, but there's no arguing with the legacy he could extend his record as the most-decorated player in the club's history with a fifth Champions League winners' medal tonight. - Lowe: Marcelo's Madrid career may be over, but he'll leave a legend 2:39 p.m. ET / 7:39 p.m. BST: Late lineup drama for Liverpool around Thiago However, sources say Thiago is still in the starting lineup despite the intense on-pitch deliberations during warm-ups! 2:39 p.m. ET / 7:39 p.m. BST: Route to the final After both finishing top of their group, Liverpool (who won all six of their Group A games) and Real Madrid have had to see off some heavy hitters on the way to the final. Jurgen
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