Liverpool v Real is a dream final.. but both are dreaming if they think they’re the best in Europe

LIVERPOOL versus Real Madrid is a dream Champions League final – but the winner cannot claim to be the best team in Europe.

Liverpool are 19 points behind Premier League champions Manchester City, while in La Liga Real Madrid are a distant third, 15 points adrift of Barcelona, who wrapped up the title on Sunday with four games to spare.

One of them will win the Champions League, yet neither Liverpool nor Real will be champions of their own country – by a distance. It goes without saying I hope Liverpool lift the trophy for a sixth time. And if he triumphs in Kiev, in my book that would elevate Jurgen Klopp to the ranks of English football’s genius elite.

I love Liverpool’s front three, I love Klopp’s passion, I love the phenomenal din of big European nights at Anfield.

Don’t be fooled by people who tell you Liverpool will be favourites in the final.

Just because Real scraped past Juventus last month, and were clinging on for dear life against Bayern Munich in the semi-finals, doesn’t mean they are there for the taking. You don’t reach four of the last five finals – including this one – and win three, if you can’t defend.

And you don’t beat the French, Italian and German champions in consecutive knockout ties if you aren’t streetwise or cynical where necessary.

Liverpool, on the other hand, have had an easier ride: Sevilla, Spartak Moscow and Maribor in the group, then Porto, City and Roma in the knockout stage.

Of course, it was a huge feather in Klopp’s cap to beat City 5-1 on aggregate when Pep Guardiola’s men have run away with the title.

But Liverpool enjoyed moments of good fortune, notably Leroy Sane’s disallowed goal and Raheem Sterling’s penalty shout in the quarter-final.

Then, in Rome, Edin Dzeko was wrongly pulled up for offside after he was brought down in the box by Loris Karius on Wednesday, and Trent Alexander-Arnold got away with a blatant handball when the tie was still alive.

Don’t get me wrong, over the two legs Liverpool deserved to go through because they were absolutely sensational for 75 minutes at Anfield and Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane were unplayable.

But to beat Real Madrid, I feel they will have to lead from the front and capitalise on their high-pressing style from the first whistle.

Over their last four games, Liverpool have scored nine times in the first 75 minutes and conceded only twice; in the final 15 minutes of those games, however, they have scored none and conceded six.

But should the Reds make it European Cup No.6, Klopp will be a genius – up there on a pedestal with the greats.

My definition of genius means a manager who has achieved success beyond all expectations.

Sir Alex Ferguson won the Treble. He’s a genius.

So is Arsene Wenger, the man who put together the Invincibles.

Claudio Ranieri’s a genius for leading 5,000-1 shots Leicester to the title.

Jose Mourinho has never won the Champions League with an English club, but he’s done it with Porto and Inter Milan. He’s a genius in my eyes.

And the same applies to Rafa Benitez, who guided Liverpool to their last Champions League triumph.

Pep Guardiola? To win La Liga and the European Cup with Barcelona was not unexpected, nor was winning the title with Bayern or City, the richest clubs in their leagues.

But Pep will be a genius if City take seven points from their last three games and become the first to break the 100-point barrier in a 38-game Premier League season – not to mention the century of goals already scored.

A hundred points and 100 goals, playing sublime football? That’s genius.

You could argue leading Burnley into Europe through their league position, 12 months after they flirted with relegation, is pretty exceptional, too.

No wonder Sean Dyche has had a pub named after him in the town. Taking Burnley into Europe is an incredible achievement.

But like Real Madrid and Liverpool, it doesn’t make them the best team in Europe either.

Triumph in Kiev would elevate Klopp to the ranks of English football’s elite IT’S getting too close to call down in the Premier League’s valley of the doomed – but let’s try, anyway.

Although Darren Moore, my old team-mate at Derby, has done a wonderful job at West Brom and is my manager of the month for April, sadly it’s come too late to save them from relegation.

I can’t see Stoke winning both their last two games against Crystal Palace and Swansea, so I fear they are going down, too.

But the third spot could go down to goal difference, with Huddersfield most at risk if that’s the case.

I don’t think David Wagner’s side will get another point because their last three games are against Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal.

THE Champions League final could be a shootout between Cristiano Ronaldo and Mo Salah for the Ballon d’Or.

The last person who wasn’t Ronaldo or Messi to win the award was Kaka – in 2007.

Salah has already been named Footballer of the Year by the PFA and the Football Writers’ Association.

A Liverpool victory might help him complete a triple crown of individual gongs.