Liverpool to continue as Pochettino’s bogey team
Tottenham manager has struggled to find a way to beat the side he faces in tonight’s showpiece
The only thing we know for sure about tonight’s Champions League final is that the name of an English club will be engraved on the trophy for the first time since Chelsea beat Bayern Munich on penalties in 2012.
Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool will each be attempting to create their own slice of history in Madrid and it is no surprise that Jurgen Klopp’s side are warm favourites to prevail, given their superb performances this season and their fine recent record against their opponents.
Mauricio Pochettino, the Spurs manager, is undoubtedly one of the finest coaches of his generation and his achievements in cementing Tottenham in the top four and reaching a Champions League final are remarkable.
However, for all the success and major improvements implemented by Pochettino at Tottenham, he has consistently failed to find a way to beat Liverpool.
The Argentine was appointed in May 2014 and has since won just one of 11 games against tonight’s rivals. That came in October 2017, before Liverpool had the services of arguably the world’s best defender in Virgil van Dijk and goalkeeper Alisson Becker, while Klopp’s side were also without Sadio Mane, Andrew Robertson and Georginio Wijnaldum.
Liverpool have won both matches against Tottenham this season by a 2-1 scoreline and registered 13 shots on target over the course of the two games, while Tottenham managed to test the goalkeeper on just five occasions.
Liverpool finished 26 points clear of Tottenham in the Premier League and lost just seven matches in all competitions this season, while Tottenham had lost the same number of games by the turn of the year and have so far lost 19 in total.
That suggests there is a huge gulf in class between the sides and Liverpool’s experience of playing in the Champions League final last year should ensure their players know what to expect in the build-up to the game.
Liverpool look good value to win in 90 minutes at 10/11, but there could be more value by backing Liverpool to be leading at half-time and full time.
Tottenham have been slow starters in this competition and have not led at half-time in any of their 12 Champions League matches this season and Liverpool have the talent to take advantage of a fast start. The 21/10 for Liverpool to be in the ascendancy at the end of both halves looks too big to ignore.
Anthony Joshua will be looking to announce himself to an American audience in some style as he returns to the ring against Andy Ruiz Jnr at Madison Square Garden.
Ruiz has stepped into the breach to replace Jarrell Miller, who failed three tests for performanceenhancing drugs, and although his record of 32 wins and one defeat in his 33 fights reads well on paper, odds of 10/1 that he pulls off a shock success show the magnitude of his task.
There may be added pressure on Joshua to produce an early stoppage. With a 5in height and 8in reach advantage, Joshua’s tactics would normally be to work behind a strong jab early, but he might be willing to take earlier risks in order to impress boxing’s biggest market.
While he is 1/25 to win, Joshua is a best-priced 9/1 to finish the fight in the first round and the temptation to try to bomb Ruiz out of the contest will be huge.
Joshua, however, last stopped a fighter in the opening round when beating Gary Cornish in September 2015 and he has had to go past the opening three rounds in six of his past eight fights, which suggests a victory in rounds three or four, at 7/2, could be the safe play.