Small details will decide Champions League final – Marcelo

Real Madrid’s Champions League fate rests in the hands of the “small details”, according to defender Marcelo.

Zinedine Zidane’s men take on city rivals Atletico at San Siro as they go in search of an 11th European crown on Saturday.

It is a repeat of the 2014 final in Lisbon, when Carlo Ancelotti led Madrid to a 4-1 triumph after extra time, and it pits some of football’s biggest talents head to head as the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Antoine Griezmann battle it out for continental supremacy.

But Marcelo says the finer points will be decisive and he suggested Zidane’s side will leave no stone unturned in their pursuit of glory.

“We’re feeling as good as we could,” he said. “We’re ready, prepared and I think we’ll fair quite well.

“I think in a final what decides the game is the small details and we’re thinking of all those. Everyone wants to win, you need to work and run a lot and I think the small details are what’s going to make a difference.”

Marcelo came on as a sub and scored Madrid’s third goal in the final victory two years ago and he still revels in the memory of that occasion. 

“It’s impossible not to think of that game. It was very special,” the 28-year-old added. “I personally believe that it’s in the past, it’s over now and it’s another final.

“[On Saturday] we have a chance to live a great day for us, but in order to do that we need to fight because it’s the Champions League final and it’s always very difficult to win.”

Zidane declared Ronaldo, who needs two more goals to break his own record of 17 in one Champions League campaign, to be “100 per cent fit” for the match in Milan.