Second time round: European Cup final rematches

Real Madrid have won a record 12 European Cup finals while Liverpool have won five, so it is no surprise that their UEFA Champions League showdown in Kyiv on 26 May will join a band of deciders that have happened more than once.

European Cup finals that have been played twice
Real Madrid v Stade de Reims: 4-3, 1955/56 – 2-0, 1958/59
AC Milan v Benfica: 2-1, 1962/63 – 1-0, 1989/90
AC Milan v Ajax: 4-1, 1968/69 – 0-1, 1994/95
Ajax v Juventus: 1-0, 1972/73 – 1-1 aet/2-4 pens, 1995/96
Liverpool v AC Milan: 3-3 aet, 3-2 pens, 2004/05, – 1-2, 2006/07
Barcelona v Manchester United: 2-0, 2008/09 – 3-1, 2010/11
Real Madrid v Atlético Madrid: 4-1 aet, 2013/14 – 1-1 aet/5-3 pens, 2015/16
Real Madrid v Juventus: 1-0, 1997/98, 4-1 2016/17
Real Madrid v Liverpool: 0-1, 1980/81, ?, 2017/18

This year's finalists' previous encounter was in 1981 at the Parc des Princes in Paris, Madrid losing 1-0 to an Alan Kennedy goal for Liverpool. That was the start of something of a European dark age for Real Madrid, who would not reach another European Cup final until 17 years later, when they beat Juventus.

• This is the ninth time that a European Cup final will be a replay of a previous showpiece (no sets of teams have ever had three meetings).

• In five of the eight previous repeat finals, the same side won second time round – most recently, Real Madrid beating Juventus last season.

• Liverpool are one of the exceptions to that rule; they beat AC Milan on penalties in 2005, but lost to the same opponents in normal time two years later.

• This is Real Madrid's fourth repeat final: in all three previous double-headers, the outcome of the second game as been the same as the first.