Former Liverpool Champions League winner Xabi Alonso has stated that Jurgen Klopp’s men will have to play “the perfect game” game in order to beat Real Madrid in the competition’s final this Saturday.
As reported by ESPN, the Spaniard tipped the La Liga giants as favourites after winning three of the last four tournaments, but insisted that this “means nothing in football, and in a final even less.”
Alonso has won the Champions League with both teams, the first in 2005 with the Reds, as he famously scored the third goal in the Istanbul comeback against AC Milan. The latter came with Los Blancos, helping them to ‘La Decima” in the 2013/14 season.
We can expect that Klopp will prepare a good plan. He is analysing the whole game, the small details, because they know how difficult it is to stop Madrid, to beat Madrid.
The last time the club reached the final of Europe’s biggest competition was in 2007, where the Reds fell to a 2-1 defeat to AC Milan. Needless to say, the squad has changed somewhat since.
They do not have this experience, for all the players it will be their first Champions League final.
However, the 2014 World Cup winner suggested Liverpool may come out triumphant if they do not let the occasion overawe them.
They have to deal with this emotional side, which is almost as important as the football side. If they can get the right balance between excitement and control, that is the right way to approach this final.
They need to play the perfect game, almost. Liverpool must prepare very well for the game.
Alonso played in 127 Champions League games during his career, netting six times on the way to his two titles.
So, any advice from the 36-year-old is probably best listening to…
