Champions League : Live stream
The European club season reaches the climax this weekend with the Champions League final between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.
It is the first all-Premier League Champions League final since Manchester United beat Chelsea on penalties in Moscow in 2008.
Liverpool finished 2nd in the Premier League with 97 points, just one fewer than champions Manchester City. Tottenham stumbled into 4th position with a haul of 71 points, one point less than Chelsea and one point more than Arsenal.
Liverpool and Spurs played each other twice in the Premier League with Liverpool winning 2-1 each time.
Liverpool finished second behind PSG in group C but only edged out third place Napoli on goal difference after beating the Italian side 1-0 in the final group game. Bayern Munich, Porto, and Barcelona were defeated in the knock out rounds.
Spurs also had to make do with qualifying from the group stage as second best – in this case, finishing behind Barcelona in group B. On matchday 6, Spurs drew against Barcelona in the Camp Nou but second place was only secured after Inter failed to beat PSV.
Liverpool will be missing Naby Keita who has not recovered from an injury picked up against Barcelona in the semi-final. However, Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah, who both missed the second-leg against Barcelona, are available.
Tottenham have been sweating over the availability of the two Harrys but things are now looking good. Harry Kane has been out for the last two months after injuring ankle ligaments while Harry Winks has been dogged by a groin injury.
Both players last played in the quarter-final against Manchester City. The big question facing Spurs’ manager Mauricio Pochettino is whether he risks starting one or both of the returnees.
Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool in Europe
The two teams have played each other just once in European competition. It was in the UEFA Cup semi-final in 1973 and Spurs was the defending champion. The season before Spurs had beaten Wolves in the final.
Liverpool won the semi-final on away goals after the aggregate score finished 2-2 (1-0, 1-2). Full-back Alec Lindsay and winger Steve Heighway scored for Liverpool while the great Martin Peters scored twice for Spurs.
Liverpool would go on to win the final against Borussia Mönchengladbach, the team they would beat 4 years later to lift the European Cup for the first time. Liverpool is looking to win a 6th Champions League/European Cup and a 12th European trophy in total.
Often overlooked is the fact that Spurs was the first British team to win a major European trophy. Back in 1963, Spurs beat Atletico Madrid 5-1 to win the now-defunct European Cup Winners’ Cup.
Spurs also won the UEFA Cup in 1972 and 1984. Prior to this season, the furthest Spurs had journeyed in the European Cup/Champions League was in 1962 when they were eliminated in the semi-final by eventual winners Benfica.
Keep an eye on.....
Liverpool is the better team by almost every measurement. They have had a better and more consistent season, have a better starting eleven and more depth on the bench. While Liverpool has progressed on all fronts, there is a sense that Spurs have taken a half-step back, domestically at any rate.
The biggest difference between Liverpool, season-to-season, is their goals against statistic. A season ago in the Premier League, Liverpool allowed 38 goals, this season just 22. Alisson Bekker, in goal, and with Virgil van Dijk at center-back, the Liverpool has a solidity that was missing 12 months ago. On the other hand, Spurs defense allowed 39 goals in the Premier League.
Liverpool can also look back at the experience gained from playing in last season's Champions League final, albeit it a losing cause.
But, and it is a big but, the final is just one game and the psychology at play is very different than a year ago. No Liverpool player or fan went into last year's final thinking that the runner up spot was good enough. However, in the cold light of day, there was a feeling that Liverpool had made significant progress and better days were ahead.
This time around, the feeling is different. This time, Liverpool would see a loss as a massive chance squandered.
And that is probably at the heart of what Spurs have to do in order to pull off an upset. Spurs needs to make Liverpool doubt themselves. Even if Liverpool takes the lead, Spurs first priority is not to concede another.
Commentators continually tell us whenever a team goes behind, that they will need to open up and go forward. Unless it is late in the game, that approach is nonsense. A few years ago Sam Allardyce said that the number priority of his team when they went behind 1-0 was to make sure that it didn't become 2-0.
At 1-0, you always have a chance because you will nearly always get a chance. Once it flips to 2-0 the problem is much, much worse.
If there is one area of the pitch to pay special attention to it is Liverpool's left/Spurs' right. Spurs simply cannot allow Andy Robertson to push forward from full-back and combine with Sadio Mane in the attack.
Spurs right-back/wing-back, Kieran Trippier is a wonderful striker of the ball whether it be passes, crosses or freekicks. However, he can be woefully weak when it comes to defending. Trippier cannot afford an off-day.
It is the first all-Premier League Champions League final since Manchester United beat Chelsea on penalties in Moscow in 2008.
Liverpool finished 2nd in the Premier League with 97 points, just one fewer than champions Manchester City. Tottenham stumbled into 4th position with a haul of 71 points, one point less than Chelsea and one point more than Arsenal.
Liverpool and Spurs played each other twice in the Premier League with Liverpool winning 2-1 each time.
Liverpool finished second behind PSG in group C but only edged out third place Napoli on goal difference after beating the Italian side 1-0 in the final group game. Bayern Munich, Porto, and Barcelona were defeated in the knock out rounds.
Spurs also had to make do with qualifying from the group stage as second best – in this case, finishing behind Barcelona in group B. On matchday 6, Spurs drew against Barcelona in the Camp Nou but second place was only secured after Inter failed to beat PSV.
Liverpool will be missing Naby Keita who has not recovered from an injury picked up against Barcelona in the semi-final. However, Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah, who both missed the second-leg against Barcelona, are available.
Tottenham have been sweating over the availability of the two Harrys but things are now looking good. Harry Kane has been out for the last two months after injuring ankle ligaments while Harry Winks has been dogged by a groin injury.
Both players last played in the quarter-final against Manchester City. The big question facing Spurs’ manager Mauricio Pochettino is whether he risks starting one or both of the returnees.
Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool in Europe
The two teams have played each other just once in European competition. It was in the UEFA Cup semi-final in 1973 and Spurs was the defending champion. The season before Spurs had beaten Wolves in the final.
Liverpool won the semi-final on away goals after the aggregate score finished 2-2 (1-0, 1-2). Full-back Alec Lindsay and winger Steve Heighway scored for Liverpool while the great Martin Peters scored twice for Spurs.
Liverpool would go on to win the final against Borussia Mönchengladbach, the team they would beat 4 years later to lift the European Cup for the first time. Liverpool is looking to win a 6th Champions League/European Cup and a 12th European trophy in total.
Often overlooked is the fact that Spurs was the first British team to win a major European trophy. Back in 1963, Spurs beat Atletico Madrid 5-1 to win the now-defunct European Cup Winners’ Cup.
Spurs also won the UEFA Cup in 1972 and 1984. Prior to this season, the furthest Spurs had journeyed in the European Cup/Champions League was in 1962 when they were eliminated in the semi-final by eventual winners Benfica.
Keep an eye on.....
Liverpool is the better team by almost every measurement. They have had a better and more consistent season, have a better starting eleven and more depth on the bench. While Liverpool has progressed on all fronts, there is a sense that Spurs have taken a half-step back, domestically at any rate.
The biggest difference between Liverpool, season-to-season, is their goals against statistic. A season ago in the Premier League, Liverpool allowed 38 goals, this season just 22. Alisson Bekker, in goal, and with Virgil van Dijk at center-back, the Liverpool has a solidity that was missing 12 months ago. On the other hand, Spurs defense allowed 39 goals in the Premier League.
Liverpool can also look back at the experience gained from playing in last season's Champions League final, albeit it a losing cause.
But, and it is a big but, the final is just one game and the psychology at play is very different than a year ago. No Liverpool player or fan went into last year's final thinking that the runner up spot was good enough. However, in the cold light of day, there was a feeling that Liverpool had made significant progress and better days were ahead.
This time around, the feeling is different. This time, Liverpool would see a loss as a massive chance squandered.
And that is probably at the heart of what Spurs have to do in order to pull off an upset. Spurs needs to make Liverpool doubt themselves. Even if Liverpool takes the lead, Spurs first priority is not to concede another.
Commentators continually tell us whenever a team goes behind, that they will need to open up and go forward. Unless it is late in the game, that approach is nonsense. A few years ago Sam Allardyce said that the number priority of his team when they went behind 1-0 was to make sure that it didn't become 2-0.
At 1-0, you always have a chance because you will nearly always get a chance. Once it flips to 2-0 the problem is much, much worse.
If there is one area of the pitch to pay special attention to it is Liverpool's left/Spurs' right. Spurs simply cannot allow Andy Robertson to push forward from full-back and combine with Sadio Mane in the attack.
Spurs right-back/wing-back, Kieran Trippier is a wonderful striker of the ball whether it be passes, crosses or freekicks. However, he can be woefully weak when it comes to defending. Trippier cannot afford an off-day.