Champions League final: Gareth Bale, Lucas Vazquez or Isco? Real Madrid’s predicted line-up to face Liverpool

Zinedine Zidane has a fully fit squad to choose from for the final

Jack Austin
Friday 25 May 2018 11:42 BST
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Real Madrid go into Saturday’s Champions League final with Liverpool with manager Zinedine Zidane having a selection headache – of the good kind.

Unlike Liverpool, who have had three players ruled out through injury who otherwise may have started and a couple of late fitness worries, Real have a clean bill of health for Zidane to choose from.

Some players of course pick themselves, but the main selection headache for the Frenchman comes with deciding who will play to the right of Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo in the front three.

Gareth Bale’s exquisite recent form has seen him with the strongest shout of starting, having been restricted to a 10-minute cameo in last year’s final in his home town of Cardiff.

However, Zidane may opt to instead go for the running and industry of Lucas Vazquez, as he did in the semi-finals against Bayern Munich. Vazquez’s discipline could be integral in shackling Liverpool’s attacking threat.

The third option is Isco, whose form at the tail end of last season inspired Real to their 12th European Cup, but he has struggled to replicate that so far this season, and therefore is the outside bet of the three to start.

Will Zidane go for all-out attack, and meet fire with fire and start Bale, or go for the more cautious approach with Vazquez? Scroll through the gallery at the top of the page to see the probable Real XI to face Liverpool in Kiev.

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