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Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are set to face off in the UEFA Champions League final on Saturday night in an all English affair. Both teams have overcome extraordinary odds to seal their berths in Madrid, Liverpool defeating tournament favorites Barcelona and Tottenham edging past dark horses Ajax to reach the finale of Europe's premier club competition.
Liverpool have had an impressive 2018-19 campaign, narrowly missing out on winning the English Premier League title to Manchester City. The Reds gave Pep Guardiola's men a run for their money until the very last matchday. They showed great determination and character in the UCL semi-finals to overturn a 3-0 first half deficit and dismantle Barcelona by a scoreline of 4-0 at Anfield to book their place in the finals. Liverpool is the most successful British club in UEFA Competitions, having won an incredible 11 continental trophies: the UEFA Champions League (formerly known as the European Cup) five times, the UEFA Europa League (formerly known as the UEFA Cup) three times, and the UEFA Super Cup three times. They last tasted continental success in 2004-05 UEFA Champions League where Steven Gerrard and company miraculously defeated AC Milan to claim the title.
Maurcio Pochettino's Tottenham Hotspur grabbed the headlines when they beat the all-conquering Manchester City in the quarterfinals and dark horses Ajax in the semi-finals to book their place in Madrid. A magical hattrick from Brazilian winger Lucas Moura helped the Spurs defeat Ajax 3-2 in the second leg at Amsterdam, after the Dutchmen had edged the first leg 1-0. The club has never won the UEFA Champions League in the modern era, but were the first British club to win a major European competition, lifting the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1963. In 1972, they won the inaugural UEFA Cup and won the competition again in 1984.
In this article, we look at the top 5 players to watch out for in this mouth-watering final encounter as we approach the end of what has been a fantastic fooball season.
#5 Mohammed Salah
Derided by many for being a 'one-season wonder' due to some inconsistent performances earlier this season, Salah found his form at the business end of Liverpool's season. With 26 goals and 10 assists this season across all competitions, Salah also finished the season as the Premier League's joint top scorer, along with teammate Sadio Mane and Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. His direct running and mazy dribbling are sure to be a handful for the Tottenham defence.
He has been the man for the big occasion for Liverpool on numerous occasions this season. Forming a deadly combination with Brazilian striker Roberto Firmino and Senegalese winger Sadio Mane, Liverpool's front three helped the Reds plunder an incredible 89 goals from 38 games in the Premier League this season, second only to Guardiola's Manchester City who had 95 goals to their credit.
#4 Christian Eriksen
Shouldering the burden as the focal point of Tottenham's attack in the absence of injured talisman Harry Kane, Danish playmaker Christian Eriksen has more than risen to the occasion. Having scored 2 goals and provided 4 assists in the Champions League from midfield, Eriksen ran the show against Manchester City in the quarterfinals and against Ajax Amsterdam in the semi-finals. The Dane came out on top in midfield battles against players such as Kevin de Bruyne, Frenkie de Jong, Fernandinho and Ilkay Gundogan.
With 10 goals and 16 assists this season across all competitions for the Spurs, Eriksen has been the creative hub for the likes of Heung-min Son, Lucas Moura, Harry Kane and so on. It was for this reason that 2-time Champions League winning coach Jose Mourinho picked Eriksen as the player to watch out for in the Tottenham side for the final, remarking:
"At Tottenham, also because the club reached the final without Harry Kane, I would choose Eriksen.”
#3 Virgil van Dijk
Considered by many as the front-runner to win this season's Ballon d'Or along with the magical Lionel Messi, the Dutch centre-back has enjoyed a sensational season at Anfield. He is the only defender in Europe's top 5 leagues to not have a single occasion where he has been dribbled past this season. One of the key reasons behind Liverpool overturning a 3-0 first leg deficit to win 4-0 at Anfield against Barcelona in Anfield in the UCL semi-final was Van Dijk's incredible performance against Messi, forming a defensive 'cage' around the mercurial Argentine with the help of Andrew Robertson and James Milner.
Van Dijk has led the Liverpool defence majestically this season, helping the Reds finish with the best defensive record in the Premier League, conceding a paltry 22 goals in 38 League games. He has also shown his leadership ability with the Dutch National Team, inspiring them to the UEFA Nations League semi-finals, where they are set to face England on 7th June. His dominance in the air is a significant attacking threat to the opposition, with the Dutchman having scored 6 goals this season for the Reds.
#2 Lucas Moura
Having been largely confined to a bench role for most of the season, Brazilian winger Lucas Moura turned savior for Mauricio Pochettino's men in the Champions League semi-finals. He scored a sensational hat-trick to help Spurs win the second leg against Ajax 3-2. Harry Kane is expected to start the Champions League final with the striker reported to be back in full training following an ankle injury. It is yet to be seen whether Son Heung-Min, Lucas or both will start in Madrid along with Englishman.
Moura has contributed 15 goals and 3 assists this season for the Spurs in his first full season at the North London club, having moved from Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain in January 2018 for a fee of around £25 million. He has already immortalised himself amongst the Spurs faithful with his man-of-the-match performance against Ajax and is sure to be a potent threat for Liverpool. Given his searing pace and ability to score audacious goals, he is sure to play a vital part for Spurs. Moura is Tottenham's leading goalscorer in the Champions League with 5 goals, along with Harry Kane.
#1 Sadio Mane
With 26 goals and 2 assists this season for the Reds, Sengalese forward Sadio Mane is in the form of his life. With man-of-the-match performances in the Round of 16 second leg against Bayern Munich and the quarterfinal second leg against FC Porto, the 27-year-old has the uncanny ability to score important goals for Jurgen Klopp's men. Potent in the air as well, he is a genuine threat from set pieces.
Having finished the Premier League season with a stunning 22 goals from 35 starts, Mane shared the EPL Golden Boot with team-mate Mohammed Salah and Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. His 140 minutes per goal ratio is slightly better than Salah's 148 minutes per goal in the Premier League. The Firmino-Mane-Salah attacking trident is set to start against Tottenham on Saturday with Firmino having recovered from a muscular issue injury. Given that the trio have plundered 12 goals so far in the Champions League between them, the Spurs defence must watch out.
