PREVIEW: Champions League Final – Tottenham vs Liverpool

The Spurs take on Liverpool in the Champions League final at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid.

Date: 1st June 2019
Time: 21:00 CET
Venue: Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid

Both sides have had some extraordinary and nail-biting matches on their way to Saturday’s final with each club overcoming massive odds to reach the final in the Spanish capital.

Ready and waiting 🤩🤩🤩#UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/DbcPSXWQRf

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 30, 2019

Tottenham’s matches in the last two rounds of the Champions League have been decided in dramatic fashion with their quarter-final match against Manchester City ending in a 4-3 loss and the Spurs going through on away goals. In their semi-final clash against Ajax, Lucas scored in the 96th minute to put his side through to their first ever Champions League final.

Liverpool were able to perform one of the biggest comebacks in history when they overturned a three-goal deficit at Anfield with a 4-0 win against Barcelona in the semi-finals. Goals were scored by Origi and Wijnaldum, both scoring a brace.

Tottenham Team News

Having recovered all the injured players during the three weeks since the last Premier League match, Mauricio Pochettino can count on a fully-fit squad for the final.

Feeling good! 😎 #UCLfinal ⚪️ #COYS pic.twitter.com/5H8nVrpDZD

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 30, 2019

Club captain Hugo Lloris will be the one defending the goal for the Lilywhites who is expected to be covered by Trippier at right-back and Rose at left-back together with Belgian duo Alderweireld and Vertonghen at centre-back positions.

The midfield trio for the Spurs is set to be made up of French powerhouse Moussa Sissoko, Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli with the last two both assigned to start up attacks and link up with the forward players.

In attack, Harry Kane is back to full fitness and could lead the line together with two of the most attacking wingers in world football at the moment, Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura.

Predicted lineup (4-3-3)

Lloris; Trippier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose; Alli, Sissoko, Eriksen; Lucas, Kane, Son

Liverpool Team News

The only major doubt for the Reds is Roberto Firmino who missed the last three matches for the Reds due to a muscle injury.

Madrid, here we come! 🙌

UP THE REDS. 🔴🔴 pic.twitter.com/6eivNOfJ0b

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) May 30, 2019

Klopp will start with Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson in between the sticks together with the back four composed of Alexander-Arnold on the right and Robertson on the left while Matip and Van Dijk in the middle.

The middle of the park is likely to be led by club captain and England international Jordan Henderson alongside semi-final hero Georginio Wijnaldum and Fabinho who will start at defensive midfield position.

Klopp will surely not do without two of his best attacking players and these are Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah who both finished the Premier League season as joint top scorers of the competition. The ultimate doubt for Klopp is whether to start with Firmino or give a chance to Origi after his great performance against Barcelona.

Predicted lineup (4-3-3)

Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Wijnaldum; Salah, Mane, Origi

Head-to-Head

This will be the first time the two sides meet in the context of the UEFA Champions League. The only time they played each other in a European competition was back in 1973 when Liverpool had made it to the final of the Europa League on goal difference.

The Reds lead the head-to-head with the Lilywhites with 79 wins compared to the 48 wins for the Spurs. On the other 43 occasions, the match between the two ended in a tie.

Recent Form

While Tottenham have stayed alive by the skin of their teeth in the Champions League, their domestic form was not the best ones towards the end of the campaign.

They managed just three wins in their last 12 league games, but the similar poor form of Arsenal and Manchester United gifted them a top-four spot and Champions League qualification for next season regardless of the result on Saturday.

Liverpool, on the other hand, have been brilliant throughout the domestic season, only losing one league game and finishing one point behind Manchester City in second place.

The Anfield side have only lost one of their last 23 games in all competitions, the 3-0 first leg against Barcelona when they came up against an inspired Lionel Messi in Catalonia. That didn’t prove to be that big a blow, though.

Here’s how the two sides fared in their last five matches:

Betting Odds

Here are the recommended odds for the UEFA Champions League final on Saturday!

*Odds are subject to change