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Former Liverpool goalkeeper David James has said that Luis Diaz could be the hero for the Reds in their UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid in Paris on Saturday.
Liverpool head to the Stade de France to take on Madrid for the European title, looking to end the season with three trophies. Jurgen Klopp's side have already claimed the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup. The Reds came within touching distance of winning the Premier League, missing out on the final day of the season to Manchester City by a mere point.
Meanwhile, Luis Diaz, who was signed from FC Porto in January, has hit the ground running at Anfield. He has been key in the team's hugely successful end to the season, scoring six goals and contributing five assists in 25 appearances across competitions.
His second-half cameo against Villarreal in the UEFA Champions League semifinals was instrumental in the Reds' 5-2 aggregate win over the La Liga side. Now James believes Diaz could be the hero against La Liga champions Real Madrid on May 28.
The former England international told talkSPORT in this regard:
“I love him and what I love about him is there’s an area that can be improved, and he’s that good already that he can become even better. If you’ve got Diaz, you know he’s going to go on his right or go low on the floor with his left because he hasn’t got the confidence with his left. He would rather use the outside of his right foot than his left foot.
However, James said:
“If you work on it, then all of a sudden he’s going to approach defenders and they’re not going to know which way he’s going to go. He could be the Liverpool hero by the end of the game on Saturday. I think of all the players, he’s got the skills to actually cause Real Madrid loads of problems.”
Liverpool forward Luis Diaz the key against Real Madrid in UEFA Champions League final?
Luis Diaz has shown throughout the second half of Liverpool's season the talent he possesses.
The Colombian winger has wooed with his electric skill and scintillating pace. He will likely come up against Real Madrid right-back Dani Carvajal in the final. His pace could cause Carvajal, 30, all sorts of problems, and that could be one of the most decisive match-ups at the Stade de France this weekend.
Klopp could decide to go with the front three that started the semifinal second leg against Villarreal, so Diaz could come off the bench yet again.
Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota started the second leg against Villarreal, but Liverpool were down 2-0 heading into half-time. Diaz replaced Jota at the break and inspired a 3-2 comeback victory in which he scored the second goal for the Reds.
The impact the Colombian could have off the bench could be key if Madrid are in the ascendancy in the final.
