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- Liverpool aims to win the 6th UCL Trophy
- The first Spurs final at UCL in club history
- Klopp and Pochettino have not yet won the trophy in their clubs
- First final 100% English since 2008, only 2nd in the history of UCL
MADRID – And then there were two.
Two teams of the Premier League. Two finalists for the final of the UEFA Champions League in Madrid, Spain. Two extremely friendly managers who want to win their first trophy with their respective clubs. Two sets of very friendly players who have been working for the moment for the past four seasons and have challenged the odds of going to the flagship event of world club football.
[ MORE: How will teams line up? ]
The two could have participated in the group stage but rallied to the round of 16. Both teams lost 3-0 in the semifinals against, but reversed their deficits with incredible victories to get rid of Barcelona and Ajax. These two teams are not really supposed to be here. But they are. And all club members get the most out of their stay in Madrid.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool. White against red. London against the north of England. All this is very familiar, but this time, the streets of the Spanish club are invaded by the English. About 80,000 spectators gathered in Madrid for the final at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium, which has 67,000.
Both teams trained on the site of Saturday 's final (kickoff, at 4 pm, Eastern Time) on Friday night, one after the other, Ultimately preparing under the burning sun of Spain.
[ MORE: Kane fit? | Klopp positive ]
In the heat of 90 degrees and more, 90 minutes will define not only their playing career, but also those of Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino, who have not won trophies in their respective clubs.
Of course, they will have other chances of winning trophies and reaching the finals, but the Champions League? No no. Moments and games, like this one, only come a few times in a lifetime if you are lucky. With fans gathered in Madrid, crammed as far as the eye can see on squares and double bars, the atmosphere of the party is intense. This is exactly the kind of opportunity that players, leaders and fans dream about.
People laugh and dance in the streets with the fans, while people everywhere ask, "So who will win?" an appropriate finale.
But this pressure was not really palpable when Klopp and Pochettino both spoke to the media hordes gathered Friday.
Klopp lost six of his seven major finals as manager, including the three finals in Liverpool, but he was relaxed and made several jokes. Pochettino often smiled, but kept his cards against his chest when it came to the news of the team that dominated the preparation of this game.
Tottenham's top scorer, Harry Kane, has been out since April 9 with another ankle injury. But he declared himself fit. Pochettino risk he play against Kane from the beginning and disrupt the balance of his team? Would it be a greater risk to save Kane for a late appearance, but then be out of the game when he comes? Pochettino did not reveal anything about Kane, just as Klopp refused to talk about Roberto Firmino's fitness.
These teams know each other so well that this final may not be as bloody as we hope. Liverpool beat the Spurs 2-1 in their Premier League appearances this season, but the second game in particular could have played for Tottenham in the late evening.
The margins are so good. The teams so closely matched. Managers so similar in their ideologies. The recent trajectory of both clubs is so similar.
Two big English teams compete for the biggest title of the club.
One of them will go down in history as true European champions.
What they say
Klopp on his bad record in the final"If I lost six times in a row, everyone should be really worried. If this is not the case, we always have a chance. That's how we actually see it. "
Pochettino on the importance of a decision on Kane"It's not easy to make decisions for tomorrow. We have all the information, we know every detail and we will make the right decision to win. It's so painful when this kind of game happens and you can only use 11 players, it's the most difficult situation. I have asked UEFA to bring together the entire team and tomorrow the team will take a picture together on the ground. "
Andrew Robertson on Tottenham being called the outsiders in the final: "I do not think they are neglected. When we played in the Premier League, it was the toughest games we played. We know that we can cause them problems. Both have very good teams, that is who shows up better during the day. For me, it's very equal. "
Harry winks at what the final for Tottenham means: "The occasion is massive. This shows how Tottenham has become a club. It will be a special and emotional evening. "
Prediction
Liverpool are the irresistible favorites and rightly so. They won 97 points in the Premier League but finished second behind Man City for a reason. Klopp's team lost in the final last season and does not seem to be weak. The Spurs, meanwhile, have outplayed every chance of being in this final. Kane's fitness is their main concern, but they know that the majority of the pressure is exerted on Liverpool. Expect to be upset to end a tough season in the Champions League. Tottenham wins, 2-1.
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