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.

"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.