Revenge will be on Liverpool's mind when Jurgen Klopp's side goes up against Real Madrid in the Champions League final in Paris on Saturday.

The Reds are seeking to cap a remarkable season by avenging their 2018 defeat against Los Blancos, but the Spanish giant has its sights on a 14th European Cup triumph.

It is Liverpool's third Champions League final in five seasons after it followed the 3-1 loss to Real in Kyiv by beating Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid a year later and it is widely seen as a slight favorite at the Stade de France to become kings of Europe for the seventh time.

That would put it level with AC Milan, with only Saturday's opponents having won the trophy more often, and it would allow the Anfield club to finish the campaign with a treble after it lifted the English League Cup and FA Cup.

"Winning trophies, there is no better feeling," admitted Liverpool's Andy Robertson this week.

For a long time, an unprecedented quadruple was on, but Klopp's side fell just short in the Premier League, finishing a point behind Manchester City.

"Without the Champions League, it would be a great season. With the Champions League it would be a fantastic season," said Klopp.

It has already been a memorable few years for Klopp's side following their loss in Kyiv, when Mohamed Salah was forced off injured in the first half, Lorius Karius endured a nightmare in goal, and Gareth Bale's brilliance won the trophy for Real.

"I think it is revenge time," Salah, scorer of 31 goals this season, admitted recently.

Liverpool appears well placed given how much it has strengthened since 2018, chiefly in goal with the arrival of Alisson, while Thiago Alcantara has been a standout in midfield.

Ancelotti targets No. 4

The problem is that you could be forgiven for thinking that Real's name is on the cup, as it has literally been so many times before.

While Liverpool saw off Inter Milan, Benfica and Villarreal in the knockout rounds, it is easy to forget now that Carlo Ancelotti's Real side lost at home to Sheriff Tiraspol in the group stages, such has been its extraordinary run since.

It was 2-0 down on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 before a Karim Benzema hat trick in 17 second-half minutes in the second leg took them through.

Against Chelsea in the quarterfinals, it scored late at home in the return leg to force extra time before Benzema got its winner.

The best was saved for the semifinal against Manchester City when it went into the 90th minute of the second leg needing two goals just to force extra time. It duly got them, and Benzema then struck the winner.

The 34-year-old Frenchman now leads Madrid into the final in his home country after a campaign in which he has scored 44 goals, with 15 in Europe and 27 on its run to the Spanish title.

Benzema will surely be nailed on to win the Ballon d'Or if his club triumphs in Paris, where victory would also help Real supporters get over Kylian Mbappe's decision to snub them.

Madrid is chasing its fifth Champions League in nine seasons, a run that began when it beat Atletico Madrid in Lisbon in 2014.

Benzema was in that team, as was Luka Modric, while Ancelotti was the coach in his first spell in charge.

The veteran Italian can now become the first coach to win the Champions League four times, having also triumphed with AC Milan in 2003 and 2007.

Security operation

The latter victory came against Liverpool and was revenge for the Anfield club's win over Ancelotti's Milan in Istanbul in 2005.

"Playing a final with them is something special. They have won six Champions Leagues, and if they reach seven they would go level with Milan, so I have extra motivation to win this final," smiled Ancelotti, who had a spell as boss of Liverpool's local rivals Everton before returning to Madrid.

This will be the third final between the clubs, who also met in Paris in 1981 – then the English side was victorious thanks to Alan Kennedy's goal at the Parc des Princes.

This final was not supposed to be played here, but Paris stepped in after UEFA stripped St. Petersburg of the game following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

A crowd of 80,000 will fill the Stade de France, with 20,000 fans of each team officially in attendance.

Around 40,000 more Liverpool fans are expected to travel to Paris without tickets, however, and around 7,000 police will be on duty as part of a massive security operation.