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Are you excited for the final showdown of UEFA Champions League?
Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool will face Mauricio Pochettino's Tottenham Hotspur this Saturday at Madrid's Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.
Liverpool are going to start the match as the favourites, as they have defeated Tottenham twice in the 2018-19 season. Both times the scoreline remained 2-1 to Liverpool. This time, Tottenham could be a surprise package as they have the likes of Harry Kane, Son Heung-Min and Jan Vertonghen in their squad for the final.
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Why are Liverpool the favourites for the title? This Liverpool side has a decent balance between their squad. Their attackers are as effective as their defenders. Liverpool's midfield has the combination of experience and young blood. Their full-backs are considered as the best in the world. Despite the fact that Jurgen Klopp hasn't won a European final in three previous attempts, the Merseyside club will fancy their chances in Madrid.
In the semi-finals, Tottenham somehow managed to win against Ajax thanks to Lucas Moura's last-minute goal, which saw them secure their place for the final. On the other hand, Liverpool managed to beat the then-favourites Barcelona and established their place in the final.
Without any further ado, let us take a look at those potential three battles for which we should watch the all-English encounter this Saturday.
#3 Sadio Mane vs Kieran Trippier
This is going to be one of the most exciting battles out there at Wanda Metropolitano. This season, Mane has been excellent for Liverpool, being their joint top-scorer alongside Mo Salah. Trippier has blown hot and cold, and has routinely had his place in this Spurs side questioned, especially by fans.
In the absence of the injured Serge Aurier, Kieran Trippier has constantly played a pivotal role at right-back for Spurs. The 28-year-old played 27 games in the Premier League this season.
Sadio Mane, 27, was the highest goal scorer of the Premier League 2018-19 with 22 goals. In the absence of Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino, Mane was the one who threatened the opponents in the big matches. This season, the Senegalese averaged 55% shooting accuracy and 78% passing accuracy per match for the Reds in the Premier League.
Trippier and Mane both are expected to start the final. It is not going to be an easy night for the English full-back. He will not only have to stop Mane's productivity from the left side but also make his offensive runs along the right-hand side of the pitch.
#2 Mohamed Salah vs Danny Rose
Another exciting fight awaits as the golden boot winner of Premier League 2018-19 season, Mo Salah will come up against one of the best left-backs in the Premier League.
The 26-year-old Egyptian not only scored 22 goals last season in the Premier League but also assisted eight times.
It is expected that Salah would be the biggest threat for the Londoners this Saturday. If Tottenham want to break the supply chain between Salah and Liverpool's forwards, Danny Rose has to keep a tight marking on the Reds' right winger. In the Premier League 2018-19, Danny Rose won 63.27% tackles per match on an average.
If Spurs' defenders successfully prohibit Salah from making those deadly runs, Pochettino's men could actually dream to achieve something big from that night.
#1 Virgil van Dijk vs Harry Kane
The biggest threat for Liverpool's defence is going to be England's captain Harry Kane. However, there is no doubt that Klopp will opt for his best defender to keep Kane quiet on Saturday night.
Despite missing a few matches due to injury issues, Kane has scored 17 goals and provided four assists this season in the Premier League. We all know Kane is a very smart striker and can shoot perfectly with both feet. His killer goal-scoring ability has made him one of the best strikers in recent times.
On the other hand, it has been a great season for van Dijk as well. In terms of his performances, van Dijk has become the most reputed defender in Europe.
It is undoubtedly going to be the best vs best. Now, we have to see which best does the job perfectly in front of the enormous crowd of Wanda Metropolitano.
Which team do you want to win this season's UCL title? Let us know in the comments below.
