Real Madrid send warning to Liverpool ahead of UCL final: When we play finals, we win

Thibaut Courtois has sent a warning to Liverpool with the Champions League trophy on the line by declaring: «When Real Madrid play a final, they win it.»

Real face Liverpool in Saturday's showpiece at the Stade de France aiming to lift the trophy for a record-extending 14th time.

Since the European Cup was redesigned as the UEFA Champions League in 1992, Real have triumphed in all seven finals they have played, including a 3-1 win over Liverpool in 2018.

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Courtois was on the wrong end of another Real victory, in 2014, when playing for Atletico Madrid while on loan from Chelsea, as Los Blancos triumphed 4-1 in extra time.

Now aged 30, Courtois has the chance to win the Champions League with Real for the first time and when asked what Liverpool would be thinking ahead of the match in France, the Belgium goalkeeper said: «They've already played one final against Madrid in 2018. It was different for me. Real Madrid, when they play a final, they win it, and so now I'm on the right side of history.»

Madrid have recovered from losing positions in each knockout round, trailing to Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City only to stage rousing comebacks against all three teams and head coach Carlo Ancelotti believes the club's past glory has helped propel them to the final once more.

«We deserved to get to the final because of quality first: if you don't have individual quality you won't get to the final, but quality and talent isn't enough,» he said. «You have to put it together, the quality of everyone together makes the