Liverpool FC is going to battle it out against English rivals Tottenham Hotspurs in 2019 Champions League final at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid. This is the first instance of an all English Champions League final since 2008 when Manchester United beat Chelsea in a penalty shootout after both teams could not break the deadlock in regular time.
Both teams have had ups and downs throughout the tournament. The Reds made a memorable comeback from being 3-0 down against Barcelona to qualify with a 4-3 lead after winning the second leg at Anfield whereas The Lilywhites won due to a higher number of away goals against Ajax.
Preview
Liverpool is looking forward to winning the Champions League for the sixth time with their charismatic manager Jurgen Klopp at the helm. After losing to Real Madrid in last year's edition, the Anfield-based side is waiting to taste victory at European level for the first time since 2005. They also lost the Premier League title to Manchester City despite losing only one game in the entire season.
The Red's road to Madrid was not at all smooth. They had a rollercoaster journey this year. They were placed in a tough group along with teams like PSG and Napoli. Liverpool finished second in the group to meet Bayern Munich in the Round of 16, whom they beat 3-1 on aggregate score.
Their biggest challenge came against Barcelona FC in the semi-finals. The Lionel Messi-led side was in sublime form with the captain leading the way. After losing 3-0 at Camp Nou, the Reds made a near-impossible comeback in the second leg at home. They beat the Blaugrana 4-0 to march into the finals. Klopp now has a full squad to pick from with Roberto Firminho back in the frame after he was confirmed fit.
On the other hand, Tottenham Hotspur was placed in a much more difficult group than Liverpool along with Barcelona and Inter Milan. After Spurs did not buy any new faces from the transfer window everybody thought they will exit the tournament in the group stage itself. But they proved all wrong and after facing many ups and downs throughout the season, the Mauricio Pochettino managed side made it to the finals.
On their way to the last hurdle before the trophy, they beat Manchester City in the quarterfinals 4-3 on aggregate score. The second fixture had a controversial VAR decision which helped Spurs greatly in going through to the semis.
In the last-4 stage, they defeated a totally rejuvenated Ajax side on the basis of more away goals to set up a date with Liverpool. The situation of the squad is much better at this moment with Harry Kane, Jan Vertonghen, Harry Winks and Davinson Sanchez back in training.
Liverpool has defeated Tottenham in this season's Premier League twice, so they are the favourites. But it does not mean that Spurs will let them win easily.
Tottenham vs Liverpool kicks off at 8 pm BST/ 3 am SGT (next day).
