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Madriddo "Atletico" or Bilbao "Athletic". On Wednesday evening it will be clear which Spanish club players will lift the European Football League Champions Trophy.
The final match will be broadcast live from the Romanian capital of Bucharest on "Viasat Sport Baltic" channel starting at 21:35.
Most football specialists and bookmakers consider the Madrid team as the favorites for the decisive match. This season, they won 11 consecutive matches in the European league tournament! "Atletico" is currently doing well in the Spanish championship as well, having won three recent games, climbed to the fifth position, and still have the chance to move up to fourth place and secure a spot in the UEFA Champions League.
Meanwhile, the "Athletic" team is struggling. Out of the last 11 matches in various tournaments, the Bilbao club only won four. In the Spanish league, the Basques dropped to ninth place. However, "Athletic" coach Marcelo Bielsa allowed leaders to rest during the last few country championship matches and saved them for the European league final. By the way, Diego Simeone, the former famous football player from Argentina, also coaches "Atletico".
However, one should never underestimate the Basques. "Athletic" has huge potential. This season in the European league tournament, the Bilbao team eliminated none other than the European football giant "Manchester United". And they defeated the English giants both away and at their own stadium.
In this Spanish championship, "Atletico" and "Athletic" each won one match. In Bilbao, the hosts triumphed 3-0, while in Madrid "Atletico" retaliated with a 2-1 win. These teams have not crossed paths before in European tournaments. In Spain, the head-to-head result between "Atletico" and "Athletic" is 64:59 in favor of the Madrid team.
The outcome of the final in Bucharest will depend on how the leaders of the teams perform. "Atletico's" Colombian forward Radamel Falcao has already defeated opponents' goalkeepers 10 times in the European league. He shares the 1-2 place with "Schalke" player Dutch Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. The defenders of the Madrid club will have to work hard to stop the Spanish national team striker Fernando Llorente and the young super talent Iker Muniain.
"Atletico" became the European league tournament winner in 2010 when they defeated the English team "Fulham" in the final. The Basques have not yet won any European competition trophies. In the second most prestigious continental tournament final in 1977, "Athletic" lost to Turin's "Juventus". Today, it is a great opportunity for the Basque team to rewrite the club's history.
