Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer in Kiev

Big guessing game here in Kiev about the Real Madrid line-up with the debate surrounding the selection facing coach Zinedine Zidane between Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema. It's been a bit of an "in-out-in-out" selection hokey-cokey today with all the rumours but the latest odds are on Benzema starting.

Not a bad choice to have to make for any coach.

James Horncastle
European football writer on BBC Radio 5 live

The extra week in between games is more important for Liverpool than any other team given how physical and intense their style of play is. It also gives you a lot of time to think about this game. That can be draining as well.

From what we saw of their trip to Marbella, they seem to be relaxed. Liverpool know all they need is 20 minutes of that surge football where they’re so hard to live with, where a game can get away from their opponents.

I followed Juventus all the way through last year’s campaign. The feeling within that group of players was that it was their year. And then Madrid are Madrid. They found a way. They are also a team that in 15 minutes can completely blow you away – they have a gear some other teams don’t have.

Listen to Euro Leagues football podcast here.

Harith: Toronto, ON with the Official Supporters Club here. Been lined up since 4:40 in the morning to get a good seat at our pub. The line went around the block!

Scallywags! Sounds like the kind of word an English villain would say on a North American TV show where none of the crew had ever actually met a British person.

Image source, @permanentsigh

Real Madrid have won a record 12 European Cups - and today is their 16th final.

But can you name the previous teams they've faced in the final. It's not easy.

Have a go here.

Image source, Getty Images

There were suggestions that Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah would be fasting today in observance of the Islamic month of Ramadan.

But Liverpool physio Ruben Pons confirmed he will not be fasting against Real Madrid.

He said:, external “As far as I know, he practiced Ramadan, but a plan was established for these important days.

“Thursday, Friday and the day of the match he will suspend his fasting, so it will not affect him. After the final he will take it up again.”

Aspiring footballers in Mohamed Salah's hometown are taking inspiration from the Liverpool ace.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer in Kiev

Image source, Reuters

The first few fans are starting to make their way into this vast bowl of a stadium in Kiev after populating the squares and avenues of this sprawling city.

Soon the main event will be under way after some interesting preliminaries here last night, with Real Madrid defender Marcelo puzzled by a suggestion from one Spanish journalist that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp had questioned his defensive capabilities.

Marcelo said he had not heard Klopp say it - and there was general agreement afterwards that this was because Klopp had never said it in the first place.

Image source, Reuters

"Allez, allez, allez," in full swung in Kiev.

Colin Owen: Even on the Island of Montserrat, West Indies we are ready! Come on Liverpool!

Image source, Colin Owen

Want to read a feature with Alan Kennedy about the 1981 European Cup final between today's opponents?

Well you're in luck, head this way

BBC Radio 5 live

Image source, Reuters

Former Liverpool midfielder Boudewijn Zenden on BBC Radio 5 Live:

"Real know what the competition is about, and I don’t know why but sometimes they don’t play their best but whenever this competition comes around they find a way to win.

"The problem for Madrid lies in the counter attack where Liverpool with their three up front can be lethal. That worries me a little because it doesn’t matter to Real as much in the early days where they needed to dominate the game and be at their best. They might as well leave Liverpool to play with it and hit counter themselves."

Image source, Getty Images

Former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez says the current Reds squad is better than the side he won the Champions League with.

Benitez, now Newcastle boss, said: "We achieved what we achieved - they talk about the Miracle of Istanbul - but this team is better.

"We had Stevie [Gerrard], of course, also some players with experience and quality, [Xabi] Alonso and [Dietmar] Hamann. We had players who worked very hard, we had a good balance.

"This team also has good balance, but the front three can make a difference on their own. We had one player who maybe could make a difference on his own, and here they have three.

"If we talk about the money spent, my budget was £20m. The value of this team is so much higher."

Read more here

Highland Red: Fanatical Reds supporter traveling to Olafsvik, Iceland to compete for Scotland in the European Sea Angling Championships. Touch and go if we make the hotel in time for kick off. Hope they have it on TV!!!

Patrick: Will be watching from my phone on a wooden chair outside the hostel office under the stars and sipping on a Bintang in South Bali.. at 3am. YNWA

Fulham had taken the lead in the Championship play-off final against Aston Villa. Tom Cairney stroking in at Wembley.

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Raphael Honigstein
European football journalist on BBC Radio 5 live

The fear is Real Madrid will do what they have been doing – which is to find a way of winning. Liverpool will go into this game a little bit in a similar situation to the Manchester City game – maybe 60-40 - but with enough belief that they can once again do it.

One leg should favour the slight underdog because in two legs the quality tends to come through.

The way they finished the Premier League season with renewed energy against Brighton, the front three clicking once more and some of the freshness back, will give them some momentum. Real will not be looking forward to the challenge Liverpool pose. It’d be nice to see someone else win the trophy for a change.

Listen to Euro Leagues football podcast here.

With 88 club goals between them this season, it is hardly surprising the Champions League final has been billed as a battle between Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah.

But James Milner has provided eight assists in the tournament this season, equalling the tournament record set by Neymar in 2016-17.

BBC Sport looks at how the experienced midfielder has becomes the Reds' unsung hero.

Julien Laurens
European football expert on BBC Radio 5 live

I think Liverpool have been the best team in the competition this year – they’ve been outstanding from start to finish. The two weeks’ break they will have had since their last Premier League game could be huge – just to get some rest and prepare in the right way.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Real do it again – and I wouldn’t be surprised if Liverpool find a way to stop them. It’s quite an even final despite the experience Real Madrid have over this Liverpool squad.

Listen to Euro Leagues Football Show here.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer in Kiev

Image source, .

Kiev is basking in glorious, steamy summer heat and fans are starting to gather in their thousands around the stadium waiting for the gates to open.

Security is tight with a heavy police presence in and around the arena with some roads cordoned off but the atmosphere is very good-natured. There were three separate bag checks as we made our way towards the media entrance.

The best - and the highest - seat in the house in Kiev. Not for the faint hearted.

Guillem Balague
Spanish football journalist on BBC Radio 5 live

That's an interesting one. He had to go through a period where he was asking himself 'why am I treated like this?' 'Why, now that I have recovered from injury, am I not playing?'

The answer is he wasn't good enough at that point. He's come out of that mind frame and I think he is good enough to start.

Image source, PA