UEFA Champions League Final, Tottenham v Liverpool – Who Ya Got?!

After a sensational season – and the most incredible semi-final stage we’ve ever seen – it all comes down to this; Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool in the final of the UEFA Champions League.

The all-English affair is set for Saturday night in Madrid, live on Virgin Media One from 6.00pm. If, however, you fancy yourself as a bit of a super-tactician, you might fancy flicking to Virgin Media Sport Extra 1 (Virgin TV 451), where a special Tactical Cam will provide multiple angles of the real-time action – truly, you won’t miss a thing!

With a pair of domestic rivals squaring off, it’s not easy to know how familiarity will impact the contest. Their meetings this term have been nothing if not consistent – Liverpool winning 2-1 on both occasions – and the final standings of the Premier League table saw the Anfield side finish some 26 points ahead of Saturday’s opponents. Simple call, then? Well, not quite…

If there’s one thing we’ve learned this year, it’s how hard it is to predict what’s going to happen in the continent’s greatest club competition – so we’re putting it on you! That’s right; we’re asking you to predict who’ll come out on top of the biggest tussles of the tie, and might well dictate the resting place of Ol’ Big Ears for the next twelve months…

LLORIS v ALISSON

Liverpool’s Brazilian shot-stopper was a consensus choice for end-of-season awards in England – although French World Cup-winning captain Lloris would be the first to point out that individual honours aren’t worth much in this game! The Spurs netminder had an absolute howler during their Premier League meeting in March, though, with a late blooper proving decisive on that occasion. Spurs have also conceded the most goals of any side in the competition, with 17; with Liverpool’s forward power, that’s got to be a cause for concern…

ALDERWEIRELD v VAN DIJK

It’s all about the low countries at the heart of the defence, with Spurs’ Belgian combo of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld a near-constant despite plenty of tactical changes throughout the season. Both, though, are dwarved in terms of the contribution of Pool’s dynamic Dutchman, who’s proven that the patience required before is Anfield arrival was certainly worth it! They’ll both have their work cut out on the night – and it may go a long way to deciding the day…

SISSOKO v FABINHO

While Lucas Moura grabbed the headlines – deservedly – following his semi-final heroics, it’s worth remembering the influence that Sissoko had over the campaign. It’s often the Frenchman who leads the high-press effort for the London side, while Fabinho’s industriousness in the centre of the park is key to Liverpool’s ability to break down opposition momentum. It won’t be the glitziest battle of the night – but it could be an important one…

ERIKSEN & SON v SALAH & MANÉ

While we don’t really have time to go full ‘tactics truck’ here, attacking play is something of a collective effort for both sides – and this lot will be responsible for a lot of it! Spurs were forced to resort to the ‘hoof it towards Llorente’ approach earlier in the competition, but a combination of precision and pace could unlock the Reds’ defence. On the other hand, two of Europe’s deadliest finishers – who have plenty more strings to their bows, too – may hold the key to victory for the Merseysiders…

KANE? v FIRMINO?

No, we haven’t gone all Ron Burgundy with our question marks! Instead, we’re crossing our fingers that the game will be graced by two talismanic presences who’ve been battling injury since April. While the point might be made that their absences occasionally open the door for others to step up – Spurs with Son, and Liverpool with, er, Divock Origi – it’s a day for the stars, which means the prolific strikers could well have a say before the final whistle goes…

Virgin Media Sports is the place to be for every game from the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League – next season included! Find out more on the home of European football right here.