Dylan Bettencourt
PICK OF THE SPORTS: This year’s Uefa Champions League final is a repeat of the 2018 matchup that saw Real Madrid defeat Liverpool, but this time, things are very different.
➤ The whole world will come to a standstill on Saturday night when two of Europe’s best battle it out for the Champions League crown.
In 2018, Real Madrid were at the height of their power, with some of the best players in the world who guided them to their 13th Champions League crown and third consecutive triumph.
Liverpool, on the other hand, were playing their first Champions League final since 2005 but they were a team once again on the rise.
The 2018 final ended in a humiliating 3-1 defeat for Liverpool but it proved to be a defining moment for the club.
In the very next season, they won the Champions League and in 2020 they won their first Premier League title.
This time around, Liverpool aren’t just the favourites, they’re committed to exacting revenge while Real Madrid could be described as a shadow of their former selves.
They did however win the La Liga title and managed to defeat the likes of Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, to reach the final.
Only the brave will emerge victorious and after losing the Premier League by a single point, Liverpool will be out to prove just how brave they can be.
The clash in Paris is set to kickoff at 9pm on Saturday night, live on DStv channel 203.
➤ Formula 1 is once again eager to go and this time they travel to the most famous Grand Prix destinations of them all.
The Monaco Grand Prix is famous for several reasons, it being one of the most beautiful cities on the calendar and the glamour and glitz of the wealthy and famous. It is also known for the lack of on-track action.
The streets of Monaco are transformed into a tricky circuit that offers very little chance for overtaking, making qualifying easily as important as the actual race.
Red Bull enjoyed a perfect weekend last time out in Spain as Max Verstappen raced to his third consecutive victory. The team leads the constructors standings and Max Verstappen leads the driver standings.
Lights out at Monaco is set for 3pm on Sunday, live on DStv channel 215.
➤ After last weekend’s dismal performance of Neil Powell’s Blitboks at Toulouse, rugby fans will be watching to see if the South Africans can recover for the next round of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens in London this weekend.
In an effort to bolster the squad, Gauteng Lions flyhalf Jaden Hendrikse has been recalled to do Sevens duty in London.
In Toulouse the Blitzboks didn’t reach the quarter finals for the first time since 2013 and dropped to second place in the international standings.
Is one week enough time for the team to recover? Barring a miracle, the answer is probably, no.
In the cruellest of possible draws, South Africa’s first match is against Argentina, the world’s top ranked team. The match is at 10.54am.
All the Blitzboks action will be live on DStv channel 211.
Image source: @GettyImages
