How ball boys helped Reds beat Messi & Co
LIVERPOOL’S plan to beat Barcelona was so meticulous that the ball boys were given a video presentation on how they could help Jurgen Klopp’s team. In the build-up to the fourth goal, Oakley Cannonier — a 14-year-old from Leeds who plays for one of Liverpool’s youth teams — threw a replacement ball he was already holding to Trent Alexander-Arnold so he could take the quick corner that led Divock Origi’s winner. On Monday, ball boys were shown footage of the quarterfinal against Porto. Carl Lancaster, a coaching mentor at the academy, told them to return balls to Liverpool’s players quickly. Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool’s manager, had noticed how Barcelona’s players argued or contested every decision in the first leg and looked to see where Liverpool could make marginal gains. As many as 70,000 Liverpool supporters are expected to flock to Madrid for the Champions League final — despite the club being allocated only 16,613 seats. Liverpool’s remarkable victory
has sparked a scramble for flights, hotels and tickets for the game at Atletico Madrid’s 63,500-capacity Wanda Metropolitano. Top-priced seats will cost £513 while around 3,200 tickets will be available for £60. Yet some ticket resale websites are already charging more than £4,000 a seat for the June 1 showpiece. Last night the cheapest one-way direct flight from Liverpool with EasyJet was going for £750. With Tottenham also reaching the final, the race for flights and tickets intensified last night and police from Merseyside and London will be liaising with their counterparts in Madrid to ensure troublemakers are rooted out. Origi, 24, whose goals bookended Liverpool’s win, is entering the final 12 months of his contract but the club will meet his representatives in the summer to discuss a new deal. It is likely he will keep his place against Wolves on Sunday when Liverpool’s battle with Manchester City for the league title comes to a conclusion. Two identical Premier League trophies will be at Brighton, who host leaders City, and Liverpool to cover both possible title winners.