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The curtain finally drops this Saturday as the preparations for the much awaited Champions League final are underway. This Champions League season saw the disappointing exits of many favourites including the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus.
Barcelona and Paris-Saint Germain also endured embarrassing exits. All these paved the way for Liverpool to meet Tottenham in the final. The Reds have had a pretty good season domestically, finishing second in the Premier League. They were unfortunate to miss out on the title with just one point separating Manchester City and them.
For Tottenham, they finished fourth to seal the Champions League qualification spots. We take a look at the five talking points ahead of this match as the two Premier League teams battle it out in the Champions League final.
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#5 Liverpool’s redemption time
Liverpool are on their way for the second final in a row. As compared to last season’s Champions League, where Liverpool had had a smoother run on their road to final, this season hasn’t been that easy for last year’s Champions League runner-up.
Last season, Liverpool’s perfect run ended up in a 3-1 defeat against Real Madrid in Kiev. This year, it has been harder than expected and they deserve to be in the final at Madrid.
Liverpool have overcome other strong teams like Bayern Munich and Barcelona to earn their ticket to Madrid. Coming off from the high of an incredible comeback against Barcelona at Anfield, Liverpool will be looking forward to move on from the heartbreak of last season.
#4 Tottenham’s fine run in the Champions League
Tottenham will be in their first ever Champions League final this year. They haven’t had the most perfect run but they have gave their best and qualified for the finals.
The Lilywhites came through a difficult group after being drawn to face Barcelona. At one point, it looked as if they were on the verge of crashing out of the competition in the semi-final. However, they managed to secure a comeback against Ajax to make it an all English final.
First time finalist Tottenham will be the underdog of the match. Despite that, they would look to end this run in the Champions League with a trophy. The result of the game will tell whether Tottenham would crack in pressure of their first final or would it be their year this time.
#3 Salah’s time to shine
When Mohamed Salah went out with a shoulder injury in the Champions League final, it wasn’t exactly how Liverpool expected their 2017/18 Champions League campaign to end.
A year later, Mohamed Salah is preparing to play his second final for the Reds. Having picked up the Golden Boot for the Premier League, Salah’s aim for the Champions League will surely be to help his team and hopefully play the 90 minutes without any injury. This upcoming match might be Salah’s time to shine.
#2 Injury boost for the Spurs
The biggest injury boost for Tottenham is Harry Kane's return to fitness. Tottenham’s run without the striker has been kind of tricky with them slipping from 3rd place to 4th place in the Premier League.
As far as the Champions League is concerned, they have struggled without their first choice forward but have fought their way to the finals. The 25-year-old is expected to be fit for the final and he would be a welcomed presence in the Tottenham squad.
Injured during the first leg of Tottenham's quarter-final win over Manchester City in April, regardless whether he is fit to start or be named on the bench, Kane would be a massive boost for the Spurs as a well as massive threat to Liverpool.
#1 A battle of emotions and passion
Having been the runner-up of last season’s Champions League, Liverpool are favorites to win the Champions League this year. This coming Saturday, it will perhaps not be a game of favorites and underdogs, but rather one of passion and emotions.
If Jurgen Klopp is known to be a passionate coach with his touchline antics highlighting his emotions for the game then, Mauricio Pochettino has to be credited for the same passion and emotions as the key to Tottenham’s qualification to the finals.
This Saturday, both coach will be looking forward to bring the passion and emotions to Madrid through their players and their game. Everyone will surely be looking forward to the all English final as 2018/19 Champions League comes to an end.
