THE SPOTLIGHT FALLS on Madrid tonight as the European soccer season draws to a close with this year’s Champions League final.

For the first time in 11 years it will be an all-English decider as Liverpool take on Tottenham. Liverpool were the beaten finalists last year and are bidding to triumph for the first time since 2005 while this is the first time that Tottenham have contested the marquee European decider.

The two sides have enjoyed similar paths to the final, narrowly surviving in the group stages. Tottenham only won two games in Group B but scraped through ahead of Inter Milan on the head-to-head away goals rule and thanks to a late goal from Lucas Moura handing them a 1-1 draw with Barcelona to draw them level on points with the Italian side.

Liverpool lost three matches in Group C yet prevailed thanks to a 1-0 win on the last day against Napoli and by virtue of having scored more goals than their Italian opponents.

Then the knockout stage has delivered plenty drama. They both defeated German opponents in the last 16, Liverpool overcoming Bayern Munich and Tottenham sweeping past Borussia Dortmund. 

The quarter-finals saw Liverpool run out comfortable victors over Porto and Tottenham surmount the challenge of Man City in a finale of  extraordinary drama.

And then the semi-finals delivered a Liverpool revival having trailed Barcelona 3-0 after the first leg and a Tottenham comeback having trailed Ajax 3-0 at half-time of the second leg.

But who will be celebrating tonight at the Wanda Metropolitano? Let us know what you think.

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