Real almost break from that blocked shot, but Reds keeper Loris Karius is well out of his box to deal with it. Good keeping.

Chris Waddle
Ex-England winger on BBC Radio 5 live

You can see Real are not concerned about pressing. Everyone is in their own half saying 'here you can have it, we'll catch you on the break'.

Mohamed Salah and James Milner stand over it. Milner rolls it short to the Egyptian but Luka Modric does excellently to block his shot.

Liverpool have a free-kick in a decent situation as Marcelo bundles over Mohamed Salah...

Image source, Reuters

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer in Kiev

The smoke is clearing and the Liverpool fans are in full voice and we are under way.

Dejan Lovren tries to make an early impression on Cristiano Ronaldo by bundling the great man to the turf. Suspect he's used to that sort of thing.

Good play by Roberto Firmino to win the ball off fellow Brazlian Casemiro. Now Trent Alexander-Arnold puts in a cross which is cleared for a throw-in.

A bright start from the Reds, they don't look overawed. Although it's early days.

Almost a chance for Real but Isco is offside as he tries to get onto Dani Carvajal's cross. Loris Karius had punched it away anyway, the Liverpool keeper wearing short sleeves tonight.

Both sides are wearing their home kits today.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, 19, is the youngest Englishman to play in a Champions League final. Owen Hargreaves was 20 years old when he played for Bayern Munich against Valencia in 2001.

Cristiano Ronaldo tries a bit of showboating but Trent Alexander-Arnold just boots the ball 80 yards to Real keeper Keylor Navas.

Liverpool are almost in after 25 seconds but Mohamed Salah's through ball to Sadio Mane is just cut out by Raphael Varane.

The 2017-18 Champions League final between Real Madrid and Liverpool in Kiev is under way.

Sometimes you have high hopes for a final and then they cancel each other out. But not these guys surely. I'm predicting 5-3. Not sure to who...

Image source, Reuters

Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren just gave Real's Luka Modric a little kiss, my colleague informs me. They are Croatia team-mates.

There's so much stuff on the pitch, flags and Uefa thingies.

And now the Champions League anthem blares out. What a tune.

Image source, PA

The players come out onto the pitch at Kiev's Olympic Stadium to a great roar... and two lads playing violins.

Chris Waddle
Ex-England winger on BBC Radio 5 live

Liverpool will come out of the blocks quick, they will want to impose themselves on the game but if it gets to 60-70 minutes at 0-0 then Real Madrid will start to control the game because the way Liverpool play is tough on the legs. Liverpool have to go in at half-time winning.

Guillem Balague
Spanish football journalist on BBC Radio 5 live

The chairman of Real Madrid was upset with Zinedine Zidane two or three times this season.

It's because this is Real Madrid. You have to win absolutely everything. When you hear two or three questions along those lines from the Spanish media it's generally because they sense there are doubts within the camp.

Image source, EPA

Chris Waddle
Ex-England winger on BBC Radio 5 live

When the Champions League starts there are certain teams you want to see in the final. Liverpool have been brilliant to watch, Real Madrid are always nice to watch. If they both play to their ability, it should be a great game.

It is a special game, there is no getting away from that and the players know that. It is the final of the Champions League, some players will find that difficult to cope with, some will enjoy it and it is all about who performs on the night.

I was at the Real Madrid game against Bayern Munich and I thought Franck Ribery tortured the Real Madrid full back. If Sadio Mane plays wide he will get so much joy.

Image source, Reuters

Liverpool Ladies captain Gemma Bonner on BBC Radio 5 live: "I do think experience is key, especially in the massive games. For me, you look at Trent Alexander-Arnold and you have seen throughout Liverpool’s campaign, he’s not got that much experience in terms of the first team, let alone Champions League level.

"So for me he is the opposite and you have got a player there who has got no experience and just wants to go out there and do well for a club he loves. It will be interesting to see the battle up against Cristiano Ronaldo, who has got more experience than anyone in those type of games."