Liverpool face Real Madrid in the Champions League final on Saturday in Kiev.
Here, Press Association Sport looks at some of the issues surrounding the game.
Salah or Ronaldo?
Goals guaranteed
A case for the defence then?
Getting ready for the @ChampionsLeague final! #weareliverpool ?? pic.twitter.com/cLyP7wHmRj
— Virgil van Dijk (@VirgilvDijk) May 21, 2018
Liverpool have kept six clean sheets so far with half of them coming in the knockout stage when the world’s most expensive defender Virgil van Dijk was involved following his £75million January move. The Holland captain has provided a commanding presence to the team and is a composed, calming influence on those around him. Real have managed only three clean sheets and two of those came against minnows Apoel in the group stage. However, the defending champions have wily campaigner Sergio Ramos, the no-nonsense linchpin of Real’s defence for the last decade who knows every trick in the book when it comes to gamesmanship and getting a result.
Can dilemma
Klopp on Emre Can: “It’s really nice to have him back in the group and he is really desperate to be part of [the final].”#UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/nmVbl4FuHZ
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 22, 2018
Liverpool’s Emre Can has returned to full training after almost two months out with a back injury and is in contention for the final. The Germany international would certainly add more quality to a midfield which has been coping under the strain of losing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to a serious knee injury and Adam Lallana’s intermittent involvement. However, the caveat which comes with Can is that he is destined to leave the club next month on a free having turned down Liverpool’s offer of a new contract. Klopp places a huge emphasis on loyalty and togetherness and Can’s stance, while professional, does not fit the team’s ethos.
Bale back to his best?
⚽️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/XmdCSY85Gj
— Gareth Bale (@GarethBale11) May 12, 2018
The Wales international has been troubled by injury this season, restricting him to just six appearances in the Champions League with a return of one goal (against Borussia Dortmund) and two assists. However, he finished the domestic campaign strongly with four goals in his last three matches, including scoring in the Clasico against Barcelona, and Zidane has praised his form and consistency. He scored in his first Champions League final in 2014 but has not found the net in the subsequent two, and started last season’s final on the bench.
