Madrid moves its heart, soul, and tensely bitten fingernails to Lisbon this Saturday as for the first time in the Champion’s League 59 year history the final is contested by two divides of the same city.
If that fact alone doesn’t make UEFA’s showpiece event a full-bodied rioja of a clash there’s additionally a multitude of fascinating narratives that might play out.
Perhaps most intriguing of all is the possibility of Diego Simeone’s Aletico Madrid triumphing over their galactico-glittered neighbours and fulfilling a season that surpasses the miraculous. Last summer a top four berth would have been aimed for with the far-fetched ideal of splitting the duopoly of Real and Barca. For Los Colchoneros (the Mattresses) to have ultimately snatched the Spanish crown from their regal rivals – the first club to do so for a decade – has to be considered one of the finest achievements in modern football. Should they now lift ‘Big Ears’ this weekend each player in red and white – and particularly Simeone – will forever be enshrined in legend.
Operating on a budget that is miniscule to what’s afforded across the Spanish capital Atletico have been mesmerizing and adventurous this term with stand-out performers Arda Turan and Thiago scheming for the deadly Diego Costa to slot home 27 La Liga strikes, 35% of Atléti’s overall tally. That two of the trio are missing through injury at the Estadio da Luz might be a set-back insurmountable even to a club that thrives so magically on overcoming expectation.
The loss of £50M-rated Costa in particular is a devastating one, a hamstring tear depriving the watching millions of a sensational arch predator, but in David Villa Atletico have a forward of experience and guile who has seen and done it all at the highest level. A World Cup winner and Spain’s all time top goalscorer is some understudy to have.
Their opponents will also be weakened due to missing personnel – Xabi Alonso rueing an unnecessary costly booking from Real’s semi-final thrashing of Bayern – but also have substantial reserve in the form of Asier Illarramendi, a summer recruit who incidentally cost more than the entire Atletico team that finished the league-winning decider at Camp Nou last week.
But naturally all eyes will be on Ronaldo, the supernatural talent who can conjure up the breath-taking in an instant. The debate has raged in recent times as to who is the greatest between ‘CR7’ and Messi and where they fit in the all-time pantheon. Ultimately – and maybe harshly – this will be decided on silverware and Vogue’s new cover star will be desperate to add another medal for the biggest club prize of all to his collection.
Even the dreams of a superstar must take a back seat however to the main story that Los Blancos desperately hope is written in the stars – the attaining of their fabled La Decima.
Real have appeared in twelve finals – nearly a quarter of the grand total since the tournament was formed in 1956 – but make no mistake about it this is a very special one. Should they raise the trophy for the tenth time – against their local upstarts to boot – Madrid will be ablaze with white light until dawn.
For the neutrals we can anticipate goals, immense drama and both teams to open up. Real boss Ancelotti will not dare constrain the attacking instincts of his multi-gifted side (should he do so and meet failure the fans would bay for blood) while Simeone knows glory has to be grabbed on such a momentous occasion not meekly requested.
Yet despite all this the most anticipated club clash in living memory could be decided by a set-piece – Atletico chalked up 14 this season (more than any other La Liga outfit) and with Pepe missing from the Real ranks they might be vulnerable here. Ronaldo meanwhile…give him a dead ball and ten yards of space and the sublime becomes the norm.
Painted on a van that crept through the crowds that wildly celebrated Atletico’s title triumph last week were the words ‘History is made heartbeat by heartbeat’. Whose heart is the biggest, whose will be crushed, and who will make the history are questions that will be answered on a Lisbon night that will enrapture a city nearly 400 miles away.
Whatever happens Madrid will be proud.
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