Liverpool fans paint Paris red as Real Madrid players arrive for final - in pictures

French capital gears up for thousands of Red fans ahead of Champions League title match on Saturday

Liverpool fans at the Place de l'Hotel de Ville in Paris ahead of Saturday's Champions League final. PA

Mel Singh and Leo from Birmingham outside The Louvre Museum in Paris ahead of Saturday's Champions League final at the Stade de France. PA

A Liverpool fan poses next to the Champions League trophy at the Place de l'Hotel de Ville in Paris ahead of Saturday's final. PA

A view of the badges and detail on Liverpool fan Mel Singh's car in Paris ahead of Saturday's Champions League final. PA

Liverpool fans in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris ahead of Saturday's Champions League final against Real Madrid at the Stade de France. PA

Liverpool fans pose in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. PA

Liverpool fans at Gare du Nord ahead of Saturday's Champions League final. PA

Liverpool fans in Paris ahead of Saturday's Champions League final. PA

Artists from MurWalls work on a piece celebrating the defining moments of the Champions League season outside the Stade de France on Thursday, May 26, 2022. AP

Liverpool supporters heading for the Champions League final in Paris wait among freight and holiday traffic queues at the Port of Dover in Kent. PA

Real Madrid's midfielder Luka Modric, centre, arrives at the team's hotel in Chantilly ahead of the Champions League final against Liverpool. AFP

Real Madrid's midfielder Toni Kross at the team hotel in Chantilly on Thursday. AFP

Real Madrid's Brazilian defender Marcelo at the team hotel in Chantilly. AFP

Real Madrid's Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema arrive at the team hotel. AFP

Ferland Mendy, left, and Gareth Bale arrive at the team hotel. AFP

Real Madrid's Eder Militao, right, and Vinicius Junior at the team hotel in Chantilly. AFP

Eder Militao, right, and Vinicius Junior at the team hotel in Chantilly on Thursday. AFP

Real Madrid's coach Carlo Ancelotti at the team hotel. AFP

Real Madrid's striker Karim Benzema greets the fans as he arrives at the club's hotel in Chantilly. EPA

The countdown has begun for the Champions League title showdown between Liverpool and Real Madrid in Paris, with the excitement in the French capital already reaching fever pitch.

Jurgen Klopp's team will be eyeing revenge when they take on Carlo Ancelotti's Real in the title match at the Stade de France on Saturday, having lost the 2018 final in heart-breaking fashion.

It is Liverpool's third Champions League final in five seasons and they will be targeting their seventh European crown, while their opponents are aiming for a 14th title triumph.

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah stated he had a few scores to settle from their previous meeting four years ago in Kyiv.

There, the Egypt forward made a tearful first-half exit after suffering a shoulder injury in a challenge with Real defender Sergio Ramos. Madrid went on to win 3-1.

Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah during training on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. Liverpool take on Real Madrid in the Champions League final in Paris on Saturday.

Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain during training ahead of the Champions League final. Getty

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at training. Getty

Mohamed Salah at the AXA Training Centre in Kirkby, England. Getty

Roberto Firmino and Curtis Jones battle for the ball during training. Getty

Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate during training. Getty

Photographers at Liverpool's training session ahead of the Champions League final. EPA

Mohamed Salah during training. Getty

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp oversees the training session. Getty

Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah at the AXA Training Centre. Getty

Left to right: Fabinho, Andrew Robertson and Jordan Henderson. Getty

Liverpool's Harvey Elliott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. EPA

Liverpool midfielder Fabinho warms up at training. EPA

Liverpool's Luis Diaz and Sadio Mane during training. EPA

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah at training. EPA

Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk with manager Jurgen Klopp. EPA

Liverpool winger Luis Diaz during training. AP

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah at training. EPA

Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold. AFP

Goalkeeper Alisson Becker attempts a save. Getty

James Milner of Liverpool takes part in a training session. Getty

Liverpool's Jordan Henderson and former player James Carragher enjoy a joke at training. AP

Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold. AP

Liverpool midfielder Fabinho at the AXA Training Centre. Getty

Mohamed Salah looks on. Getty Images

"That was the worst moment in my career," the 29-year-old said this week. "I was really, really down in that time.

"I was like: 'We cannot lose this way.' I never felt that feeling before in football, especially the first Champions League [final] for all of us."

Adding to the spectacle will be the scores of Liverpool fans who have already arrived in Paris, with many more expected. Around 7,000 police will be on duty to marshal fans during Saturday's final where as many as 40,000 ticketless Liverpool supporters are expected.

The match was originally scheduled to be played in St. Petersburg but the French capital stepped in when Uefa stripped the Russian city of the match following the invasion of Ukraine.

Only around 20,000 supporters each from Liverpool and Real will officially be able to watch the match at the Stade de France.

Real Madrid's David Alaba, right, and Marco Asensio at Valdebebas training ground in Madrid as they prepare to face Liverpool in the Champions League final. All photos by Getty

Karim Benzema and manager Carlo Ancelotti.

Real's Casemiro, right, and Marcelo.

Luka Modric, right, and Nacho Fernandez.

Gareth Bale, left, and Alaba tune up for the Champions League final.

Vinicius Junior trains with Fernandez, Lucas Vazquez, Benzema, Eduardo Camavinga and Jesus Vallejo.

Benzema with Camavinga, Vazquez and Vallejo.

Junior with Fernandez and Camavinga at Valdebebas training ground in Madrid.