CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL We must keep Desire and work rate will be key if Klopp’s men are to seize trophy from Real
JURGEN KLOPP has told Real Madrid to enjoy the final days of their two-year European reign as he readies his Liverpool side to storm the gates of the palace in Kiev on Saturday.
The Reds manager conceded the Spanish giants’ impeccable Champions League pedigree – they go for a 13th title in all and third consecutive trophy this weekend – make them formidable opponents. But after watching the Reds go through their paces at Anfield yesterday afternoon, he said he believes his hungry Liverpool charges may have the edge when it comes to “work rate and desire”.
“They are more experienced, that is a fact,” said Klopp. “And experience is very important in life but not the only thing. It is important to be experienced in life but you can level it with desire, attitude and work rate. That is what I love in football.
“We are not as long together as Real Madrid because they play these finals pretty much with the same team, so as a group they are very strong. It is a really good football team.
“But we are a really good football team. We are full of desire and we really work for our dreams. We hope we can show that.”
Real Madrid have made three of the past four finals, winning all of them – in 2014, 2016 and 12 months ago. Thirteen of their likely match-day squad for Kiev played in the past two with eight REPORTS men playing in all three. Klopp’s vibrant side can boast no such back catalogue of work but they bring a vitality and energy that the German is hoping can knock Real Madrid out of their imperious stride.
And key to that is having the courage to play the same brand of football they have played in getting to the final, blowing away Porto, Manchester City and Roma in the knockout stages. “We have to handle it like an opportunity because it is an opportunity. You cannot go into a football game knowing you can lose it,” he said. “We will show the players why it makes so much sense to be brave.
“It was not easy to be brave against Manchester City and against Roma but we did it. The moment we tried to defend the result we were almost out.
“If we tried to play like Bayern or Barcelona we would be out in the group stages, so we have to be more lively. We do not have their experience so we have