Rob, Newbury: "What nonsense about John Aston - he was brilliant in the 68 final, and was Man of the Match."

Suspended Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso, speaking to Sky Sports: "We know Atletico Madrid pretty well. Last year they beat us in the Cup final. But this year they have been so regular over the whole season. A lot of credit goes to them. In the league we have not beaten them but in the Cup we beat them home and away. They are not shy to sit deep and try to break out on the counter-attack as quickly as possible.

"We need our players like Angel Di Maria and Luka Modric, who has had a terrific season, to get open their defence. That is the plan, but we will see if we can do that on the pitch. Gareth Bale is feeling good. He has already integrated in the club and the city. Real signed him for many years the best is still to come we hope."

Chris Waddle
BBC Radio 5 live

"Atletico are a team, there are no stars apart from Diego Costa, but he is still a worker, like the team. He puts himself about, but they are not household names, they're a unit."

Wasn't last year's opening ceremony Paul Breitner dressed in a suit of armour?

BBC Sport Chief Football Writer Phil McNulty in Lisbon

"Atletico Madrid fans delivering a cacophony of noise - Real Madrid supporters a little more subdued. Uefa often conjure up something a little different, to put it politely, for the Champions League Final opening ceremony. Anticipation is building among those of us who have been regularly treated to this surreal spectacle."

Lots of Premier League eyes on Atletico goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois tonight. That could be one of the biggest calls in Jose Mourinho's summer. Does he put the Belgian in next season or stick with Petr Cech?

The difficulty is that Cech is - remarkably - only 32. Years left in him yet. But he won't want to be back-up.

Steve Crossman, BBC World Service football reporter, is in Atletico's Vicente Calderon Stadium in Madrid:

"On my way in I had to wade through great plumes of orange smoke, we're now inside this great stadium and a lot of people are in Native American head-dresses and facepaint of orange and white to match their team's colours."

Xabi Alonso there, straight off the set of the latest Tarantino film. What a guy - what a player...

Image source, AP

Suspended Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso, speaking to Sky Sports: "For Real it is all about this game. For so many years they have been trying to reach the final. But today is not about the pressure it is about the chance to make history for this club. We all want to part of that big history and we have a big chance today.

"Cristiano Ronaldo is fully focused, he has been waiting for this game for five seasons, it will be special for him here in Lisbon and if he performs to his best we will have a chance. It's not just about what he has achieved, every day he tries to do better. He wants to win tonight and he wants to win the World Cup. He wants to be part of Real's history, and at Real it is all about the Champions League. We have nine so far and we want the 10th."

Image source, BBC Sport

And, for balance, John also met these Atletico fans lapping up that pre-match atmosphere...

Image source, BBC Sport

BBC Sport news presenter John Watson snapped these Real Madrid fans before they entered the Stadium of Light...

Real Madrid have won 11 of their last 13 Champions League games, while Atletico are the only side unbeaten in the competition this season. If they keep that up the red and white half of Madrid will be partying until about Thursday...

Former Atletico Madrid and Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink speaking to BBC Sport: "I hope Atletico win it because they are one of my old clubs, but I fear the final may be for Real Madrid.

Image source, PA

"It could be one game too far for Atletico. Saying that, they are in such a good run and they have such confidence from winning the league that everything is possible.

"They don't concede many goals and are they are a really strong unit and that might win it for them. They were excellent against Chelsea in the semi-final."

A galaxy of stars are out warming up in the Lisbon sunshine. I've been lucky enough to go to a Champions League final as a fan and it's a marvellous occasion. Drink it in.

Jules Delay: Pavel Nedved, touch of a genius and a Ballon d'Or winner to boot - a travesty he never lifted the trophy.

Marcus Braeburn: Matt Le Tissier never got his hands on any silverware, surely the greatest honour-free player.

Andy West
European football writer

Image source, Getty Images

"Real are precariously teetering with one foot on the edge of glory and the other on the verge of immense disappointment.

"In the high-pressure and extreme environment of the Bernabeu, at the most glamorous and hype-ridden club in the world, there is no middle ground.

"Win, and the current Los Blancos crop will be hailed as milestone-marking legends; lose, and they will be castigated as inexcusable failures.

"Win, and their poor finish to the league campaign - where they finished third behind Atletico and Barcelona - will be retrospectively excused as a period of physical and mental preparation for an even bigger prize; lose, and it will be condemned as the ill-fated onset of careless sloppiness."

Read more from Andy West on the BBC Sport website.

Forty minutes to kick-off. Forty minutes everyone.

Just time to order a takeaway, get the drinks in the fridge and take the phone off the hook...

BBC Sport Chief Football Writer Phil McNulty in Lisbon

"Chelsea may have fallen to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-final but they will still have more than a passing interest in tonight's events. Thibaut Courtois is tipped to return to Stamford Bridge next season from his lengthy loan spell as Atletico keeper to challenge Petr Cech while Diego Costa may not be too far away from a move to rejoin him.

"Courtois is rated as one of the world's best young keepers and on Friday night Real's veteran Iker Casillas claimed: "Right now Courtois and David de Gea at Manchester United are going to be the two most successful in the future."

"High praise indeed from one of the game's most celebrated goalkeepers."

Image source, AP

Everyone's following tonight's game. Everyone who is anyone in football, anyway.

"We are going to watch the game with the complete squad tonight, and I am very curious," said Netherlands captain Robin van Persie, speaking from the training camp in Lagos, Portugal.

"I find it fantastic to see how Diego Simeone works as a coach at Atletico Madrid. I think it is beautiful to see how a technical staff and a group of players are completely on one line. That is the most striking thing that the side shows. They really go through fire and water for each other. They reach the final with a smaller budget than the competition, and with less known players. If you see what they are capable of doing during a match, then that really shows skill."

Much like working with David Moyes, eh Robin?