Liverpool have been European champions six times, while Real Madrid have been the top side in the continent on 13 occasions, but both sides have been left with runners-up medals on three previous occasions.

UEFA.com looks back on all the 2022 finalists' previous European Cup and UEFA Champions League deciders, including the two where they played each other.

LIVERPOOL

1977: Liverpool 3-1 Mönchengladbach
(McDermott 28, Smith 65, Neal 83pen; Simonsen 51)

In star forward Kevin Keegan's final game before joining Hamburg, Bob Paisley's team repeated their 1973 UEFA Cup final success against Gladbach. Allan Simonsen cancelled out Terry McDermott's opener in Rome, and Uli Stielike drew a great save from Ray Clemence before Tommy Smith and a Phil Neal penalty clinched victory.

1978 Liverpool 1-0 Club Brugge
(Dalglish 64)

The Belgian side managed to frustrate the holders in the first half at Wembley, but goalkeeper Birger Jensen's heroic performance was to be in vain. Not long after Lajos Kű had spurned Club Brugge's best opportunity, Graeme Souness set up Kenny Dalglish for what proved to be the clincher on 64 minutes.

1981: Liverpool 1-0 Real Madrid
(Kennedy 81)

Paisley became the first manager to lift the European Cup for a third time, but the two teams cancelled each other out for long spells at the Parc des Princes in Paris. Left-back Alan Kennedy was the unlikely hero, making an unexpected run into the box to receive a Ray Kennedy throw, skipping through a challenge and scoring from a tight angle.

1984: Roma 1-1 Liverpool (aet, 2-4 pens)
(Pruzzo 43; Neal 14)

The Reds repeated their 1977 triumph in the Italian capital, as the final was settled on penalties for the first time. Roberto Pruzzo's header cancelled out Phil Neal's opener, but Joe Fagan's side benefited from goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar's eye-catching shoot-out technique, Alan Kennedy converting the winner after two Roma players had failed.

1985 Juventus 1–0 Liverpool
(Platini 58pen)

Juventus scored what proved to be the only goal of the game when Michel Platini converted from the spot after Gary Gillespie brought down Zbigniew Boniek, but there was little appetite for football at Heysel Stadium, the match forever tainted by tragedy as 39 fans lost their lives in crowd disturbances before kick-off.

2005 Liverpool 3–3 AC Milan (aet, 3–2pen)
(Maldini 1, Crespo 39 44; Gerrard 54, Šmicer 56, Xabi Alonso 60)

Rafael Benítez's were 3-0 down at the interval 3-0 down, only for Steven Gerrard, Vladimír Šmicer and Xabi Alonso to even things up by the hour mark. Once it went to spot kicks, Milan buckled; they missed their first two and Jerzy Dudek's save from Andriy Shevchenko completed the 'Miracle of Istanbul'.

2007 AC Milan 2–1 Liverpool
(Inzaghi 45, 82; Kuyt 89)

There was a touch of fortune for AC Milan's opener, as Filippo Inzaghi inadvertently directed an Andrea Pirlo free-kick into the Liverpool net, but he rounded Pepe Reina stylishly for his side's second. Dirk Kuyt managed to scramble in a goal following a corner but the Reds were not able to produce a 'Miracle of Athens'

2018 Real Madrid 3–1 Liverpool
(Benzema 51, Bale 63 83; Mané 55)

Jürgen Klopp had led Dortmund to defeat in the 2012 final against Bayern, and had also come up short with Liverpool in the 2015/16 UEFA Europa League decider, so he may have felt that the fates were against him as he once more lost out in a continental decider, Gareth Bale's goals proving the difference.

2019 Liverpool 2–0 Tottenham
(Salah 2pen, Origi 87)

The all-English final at the home of Atlético de Madrid did not quite cut it as a footballing spectacle, though there was plenty of early excitement as Mohamed Salah converted from the spot inside two minutes. Spurs picked up the pace late on but substitute Divock Origi struck in the final minutes to secure a first UEFA trophy for Klopp.

REAL MADRID

Real Madrid celebrate victory in 1956©AFP

1956 Real Madrid 4-3 Stade de Reims
(Di Stéfano 30, Rial 62 79, Marquitos 62; Leblond 6, Templin 10, Hidalgo 67)

In the first European Cup final, Madrid trailed 2-0 inside ten minutes at the Parc des Princes but rallied. Reims went 3-2 up just past the hour only for Manuel Marquitos to quickly level again, leaving Héctor Rial to score the winner 11 minutes from time.

1957 Real Madrid 2-0 Fiorentina
(Di Stéfano 70pen, Gento 76)

Madrid had home advantage for their second final, and it was a familiar scene at the end of the Santiago Bernabéu showpiece with the 'home' team celebrating again. Their Italian opponents made them work hard for it, but Alfredo Di Stéfano's penalty midway through the second half finally broke their resolve and Paco Gento added a clincher.

1958 Real Madrid 3-2 AC Milan (aet)
(Di Stéfano 74, Rial 79, Gento 107; Schiaffino 59, Grillo 78)

Again, Madrid had to come from behind as Milan twice led at the Heysel Stadium. Each time it seemed the Spanish side's grip on the trophy was weakening, goals from Di Stéfano and, with 11 minutes left, Rial levelled matters. The match became the first final to go to extra time, Gento's 107th-minute effort keeping the cup in Madrid.

1959 Real Madrid 2-0 Stade de Reims
(Mateos 1, Di Stéfano 47)

A repeat of the first final ended in the same way – with Madrid parading the trophy. A goal early in each half ended Reims' hopes in Stuttgart's Neckarstadion, Madrid making light of the absence of Ferenc Puskás and an early injury to Raymond Kopa thanks to Enrique Mateos in the first minute and Di Stéfano just after the break.

Captains Hans Weilbächer and José María Zárraga ahead of the 1960 finalPopperfoto via Getty Images

1960 Real Madrid 7-3 Eintracht Frankfurt
(Di Stéfano 27 30 73, Puskás 45+1 56 60 71; Kress 18, Stein 72 75)

What proved the last of Madrid's five successive European Cups was the most famous as Eintracht were sublimely swept aside in Glasgow. Puskás became the first player to score a final hat-trick, and went on to claim four goals in all; Di Stéfano made do with three in a dazzling display in front of an enraptured Hampden Park crowd of 127,000.

1962 Benfica 5-3 Real Madrid
(Águas 25, Cavém 33, Coluna 50, Eusébio 64pen 69; Puskás 18 23 39)

Although Madrid's streak of victories finally came to an end in 1960/61 – eliminated in the first round by Barcelona – they were back in the final a year later, Puskás getting his second showpiece hat-trick at Amsterdam's Olympisch Stadium. For once, however, he was outdone as Eusébio's two goals helped Benfica retain the trophy.

1964 Inter 3-1 Real Madrid
(Mazzola 43 76, Milani 61; Felo 70)

Madrid came up short again two years later, with veterans Di Stéfano and Puskás eclipsed by Inter's Sandro Mazzola at the Praterstadion in Vienna. Mazzola and Aurelio Milani gave Madrid a two-goal cushion and, though Felo pulled one back, Mazzola's second of the evening made the game safe.

Real Madrid on the defensive in the 1966 deciderPopperfoto via Getty Images

1966 Real Madrid 2-1 Partizan
(Amancio Amaro 70, Serena 76; Vasović 55)

Partizan became the first eastern European team to reach the final but Madrid proved too strong in Brussels. Velibor Vasović gave the Yugoslavian side the lead, but goals in the final 20 minutes from Amancio Amaro and Fernando Serena ensured Madrid – captained by Gento, in his sixth final – took the trophy again.

1981 Liverpool 1-0 Real Madrid
(Kennedy 81)

In contrast to their early dominance of the competition, Madrid had to wait 15 years for their next final appearance. This time the Parc des Princes did not prove a happy hunting ground, Alan Kennedy's late goal ensuring Liverpool continued England's European Cup purple patch.

1998 Real Madrid 1-0 Juventus
(Mijatović 66)

Again Madrid had to endure a lengthy wait before returning to the final, making their first appearance of the UEFA Champions League era at the Amsterdam ArenA. One goal proved enough for a seventh crown, Predrag Mijatović scoring midway through the second half to claim 'La Séptima'.

2000 Real Madrid 3-0 Valencia
(Morientes 39, McManaman 67, Raúl 75)

Having waited 32 years for their seventh title, just two years later Madrid made it eight in the first European Cup final between teams from the same country. Fernando Morientes headed them in front at the Stade de France just before half-time, and second-half goals from Steve McManaman and Raúl González ended Valencia's challenge.

2002 Real Madrid 2-1 Leverkusen
(Lúcio 13; Raúl 8, Zidane 45)

Back at the scene of their most famous European Cup triumph, Hampden Park, Madrid claimed the crown again for a third triumph in five years. Raúl became the first player to score in two UEFA Champions League finals early on and, though Lúcio quickly equalised, Zinédine Zidane's iconic volley proved a fitting winner.

2014 Real Madrid 4–1 Atlético (aet)
(Ramos 90+3, Bale 110, Marcelo 118, Ronaldo 120pen; Godín 36)

In the first final between teams from the same city Real Madrid became European champions for the tenth time, though the scoreline looked deceptively emphatic. Carlo Ancelotti's side trailed until deep into second-half added time, but Sergio Ramos's headed equaliser set up an extra-time rout in Lisbon.

2016 Real Madrid 1–1 Atlético (aet, 5–3pen)
(Ramos 15; Carrasco 79)

Zidane scored the stunning winner in the 2002 final and won the first of three titles as Madrid coach at San Siro. Yannick Carrasco managed to cancel out Ramos's opener, but Real Madrid held their nerve after goalless extra time, Cristiano Ronaldo converting the decisive penalty after Juanfran hit the post for Atlético.

2017 Real Madrid 4–1 Juventus
(Mandžukić 27; Ronaldo 20 64, Casemiro 61, Asensio 90)

Ronaldo's deflected opener was slightly against the run of play in Cardiff, and Mario Mandžukić's equaliser was stunning, but Juventus ran out of steam after the interval. Casemiro's long-range shot was deflected past Gianluigi Buffon, and Ronaldo swiftly crashed in Madrid's third to end the final as a contest.

2018 Real Madrid 3–1 Liverpool
(Benzema 51, Bale 63 83; Mané 55)

Karim Benzema seized on a Loris Karius throw to break the deadlock, but Sadio Mané swiftly got Jürgen Klopp's side back on terms in Kyiv. However, the night was to belong to substitute Gareth Bale who scored an unforgettable overhead kick soon after replacing Isco before finding the target again from distance.