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The first all English final since Manchester United beat Chelsea in the 2007/08 season. Liverpool and Tottenham will be prepared and ready to capture the Champions League trophy.
Liverpool only just missed out on silverware this campaign, falling short in the Premier League title race with Manchester City claiming the trophy for the fourth time, beating the Reds to the trophy by a single point. Liverpool will be looking to claim the Champions League for the sixth time after losing in last year’s final 3-1 to Real Madrid.
Tottenham finished fourth in the Premier League season and will qualify for the Champions League next season despite a nervous end to the season which saw them fluctuating between third and sixth.
It is the first time for Spurs will participate in the Champions League final; the best the London club finished in the Champions League previously was the quarter-final stage back in the 2010-11 season where they got knockout by Real Madrid 5-0 on aggregate.
Road to the Final
Liverpool
Liverpool finished second in their group behind Paris Saint-Germain and ahead of Napoli and Red Star Belgrade.
In the round of 16, Liverpool played Bayern Munich and after a goalless first-leg at Anfield, they beat Bayern 3-1 at the Allianz Arena to progress into the quarter-final.
In the final eight stage, Liverpool played against Porto and cruised past the Portugese opposition beating them 6-1 on aggregate.
One of the greatest comebacks in modern football followed. In the semi-final, Liverpool faced Barcelona and were 3-0 down after goals from Luis Suarez and a double from Lionel Messi secured the victory for the Spanish outfit at the Camp Nou.
In the second-leg the Reds overturned the deficit from the first-leg and were able to beat Barcelona 4-3 on aggregate to reach the Champions League final.
Tottenham
Spurs also finished in second place in their respective group behind Barcelona and ahead of Inter Milan and PSV Eindhoven.
In the round of 16, Spurs cruised past Borussia Dortmund beating the German giants 4-0 on aggregate.
They were then drawn in an all English quarter-final where they faced Manchester City. They beat the Manchester club 1-0 in the first-leg but in the return leg they narrowly progressed through the tiniest of margins. A goal by Raheem Sterling in the dying embers of the game was overturned and disallowed by VAR, meaning Tottenham qualified for the semi-finals on away goals.
In the semi-finals, Spurs played Ajax and it set-up to be an absorbing two legs. After losing 1-0 in the first-leg, Spurs had a tough challenge to beat Ajax at the Johan Cruijff ArenA.
With Ajax 2-0 up before half-time, Ajax looked certain to meet Liverpool in the final but a second half hat-trick from Lucas Moura rescued the London club and booked their place in the final on away goals once again.
From the dug-outs
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp spoke on how last year’s final kick-started Liverpool’s journey to Madrid.
He said:
“It had a big influence on us,” Klopp recalled of the defeat to Real in Ukraine.
I remember that situation when we were standing in the queue at the airport in Kiev on the way home, all in tracksuits, heads down, everybody really frustrated [and]very disappointed about the situation.
We could not really get it. It was not allowed to be angry on this or that – there was a lot of different emotions in our head, obviously. But the plan was we come again, we will be there again, and now we are then. That’s just incredible, but there was a long time in between.
I think that pretty much each team that lost the final would think ‘we’ll put that right at some point, but not a chance next year’ and we have the chance. It was the kick-start for the development of this team, 100 per cent.
From the first day in pre-season when we were all together, from the first matchday it was a big, big step for the boys. This team is not even to compare with the team of last year, so that’s good.”
Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino spoke about previous losses in finals, his team selection and what the future holds for him.
He said:
“Some people who like to talk are trying to live the experience and empathise with me about how difficult it will be to pick 11 players, but always it’s painful.
It will be the Champions League final but we will make sure we take the best decision. We’ve been spending 12 hours a day with our players this week and who better to know who to pick to play?
Today nothing is more important than the future ahead. We can make history, we can write our history and provide our fans and family with the best happiness in football. To think about individual things is a bit embarrassing and a shame. I am not important.
We have bigger things ahead. To play with all the emotions that this competition generates, I am nothing to worry about. Rumours are rumours and are there. Our focus is 200% on the final. After the final we will have time to talk.
We cannot prepare by thinking about the past. We are not going to change because we had three weeks and will play in a different way. Like Liverpool we will keep our principle but it’s going to be different circumstances. The emotional area will be key.”
Team News
Liverpool may have Roberto Firmino back for this game following the Brazillian being sidelined for the last three games of the season and will be optimistic to return. The Reds won’t have Naby Keita who is still in light training and not returned to match fitness.
Spurs are hopeful to have Jan Vertonghen, Davidson Sanchez, Harry Winks and Harry Kane in the line-up after all return to training.
