Real Madrid will already be thinking about their match in Paris, where they face Liverpool in the Champions League final five years later, even if they have several games to play in the lead-up to it.
With the exception of the Madrid derby this Sunday, Carlo Ancelotti can put all of his focus on the Champions League final and preparations for Jurgen Klopp’s side.
With nothing riding on these matches but momentum, Los Blancos have a manageable run-in to end the season:
08/05/22: Atletico Madrid (A)
12/05/22: Levante (H)
15/05/22: Cadiz (A)
22/05/22: Real Betis (H)
As Mundo Deportivo note, their final fixture could be moved from the Sunday afternoon but is unlikely to be later than that.
Liverpool meanwhile face a much more tense build-up to the final, with two trophies on the line. The well-publicised statistic is that Liverpool have played in every single fixture they possibly could have this season. That means Klopp will have an extra fixture to deal with compared to Real Madrid:
07/05/22: Tottenham (H)
10/05/22: Aston Villa (A)
14/05/22: Chelsea (N) – FA Cup final
17/05/22: Southampton (A)
22/05/22: Wolves (H)
Not only will they have an extra game, being just a point behind Manchester City in the Premier League likely means that there will be a lot more pressure on all of those games if it goes down to the wire.
That said Liverpool showed little sign of fatigue in their victory against Villarreal in the semi-final
Atletico must be thought how to honor