Five big talking points ahead of the Champions League final between Tottenham and Liverpool

It has felt like an eternity for the Champions League final to roll around. The Premier League campaign concluded three weeks ago and both Tottenham and Liverpool have had plenty of time to prepare for Saturday’s final in Madrid.

The Europa League final on Wednesday had the feel of a pre-season friendly about it in the first half, as both Chelsea and Arsenal took time to get back up to speed following extended time off. Given the clamour of the Champions League, the same should not be true on Saturday, we hope. Here we run through the big talking points ahead of the all-English Champions League final.

How the two managers compare

Saturday’s final is not just a huge occasion for both Liverpool and Tottenham, but also for the managers.

The one criticism often thrown Mauricio Pochettino’s way during his time at Tottenham is that he has never won any silverware. The Argentine is often lambasted for his attitude towards the domestic cup competitions. Managers like Jose Mourinho believe winning the League Cup only breeds success, but Pochettino would rather sacrifice them in order to have a greater chance of winning the league. He is on the verge of going one further, however, with Tottenham potentially 90 minutes away from an unthinkable Champions League trophy.

Jurgen Klopp, meanwhile, will hope to be the manager holding the trophy at the end of Saturday’s final. Liverpool remarkably finished second in the Premier League with a tally of 97 points and could end what has been a breathtaking season without silverware. Liverpool are the favourites on paper having already beaten Tottenham twice in the league this season but Klopp’s record in finals is not encouraging. Klopp has lost each of the last six finals he has managed, including two European finals with Liverpool.

Return of the star strikers

Had there not been such a long break between the end of the Premier League season and the Champions League final then Liverpool nor Tottenham may have had their star strikers to call on.

Roberto Firmino wasn’t considered fit enough for Liverpool’s last three games of the season with a muscular injury and there were initial doubts whether he would be ready for the Champions League final. The 27-year-old has returned to training, however, and his availability is a huge boost for the Merseysiders.

Tottenham are also boosted by the return of Harry Kane. The England captain has been sidelined since the beginning of April with a serious ankle injury. Tottenham hoped at the time Kane would be available if they made the Champions League final but few people actually thought they would make it.

Now they are here, Pochettino has some big decisions to make about whether Kane starts, and if he does, who drops out of the team. Lucas Moura would normally be the one on the bench but Tottenham wouldn’t be in the final without his hat-trick in the last four, raising doubts about Dele Alli and Heung-min Son’s place in the team.

England right-backs

Kieran Trippier was burned in the preparations to the Champions League final with news he has been cut from England’s squad for the UEFA Nation Leagues finals, which kicks off days after Saturday’s Champions League final.

Trippier has been a regular for England under Gareth Southgate and was one of the star performers for the Three Lions at the 2018 World Cup, but has struggled to rediscover the same form he showed in Russia for Tottenham this season. There is even talk he could be sold by Tottenham this summer.

One of the reasons why Trippier was cut by Southgate is due to the development of Trent Alexander-Arnold this season. The 20-year-old will be Trippier’s opposite number in Saturday’s final and comes off the back of a record-breaking domestic campaign, where he registered the most assists by a defender in a Premier League season (12). Trippier and Alexander-Arnold are hugely important to the way both teams play and that is a personal duel to keep an eye on in Madrid.

Is Harry Winks the perfect foil for Liverpool’s high press?

In Harry Winks, Tottenham have a midfielder with the ideal profile to counter Liverpool’s high press. The only problem is Winks has struggled with injury all season and last played at the start of April. The 23-year-old has been tipped to start on Saturday but it’s a decision that will carry significant risks.

Mauricio Pochettino could quite easily go with the physicality of players like Eric Dier, Victor Wanyama and Moussa Sissoko but that is a lot of power without much subtly. Given the nature in which Liverpool press aggressively, there could be a lot of instances where Tottenham conceded possession in midfield areas. Not only will that keep them on the back foot, but also force their attackers to live off scraps.

For the amount of time Winks has spent this season injured, he has generally been available for the big European games, starting seven times in the Champions League this season. Of players that have started at least three times in the competition this term, Winks has the best pass success rate of Tottenham players (90.7%) and his retention of the ball could prove crucial for the north London outfit.

Where would Champions League trophy place Van Dijk among world’s best?

In order to considered one of the world’s elite players, you need to win the biggest competitions on offer. That is the general rule of thumb. Whether it’s the World Cup, multiple league titles or the Champions League, trophies tend to shape how you are perceived in the sport. For Virgil van Dijk, he is on the cusp of elite status.

Some, including myself, already include the Netherlands international among the world’s best. He racked up more clean sheets (20) than any other centre-back in Europe’s top five leagues this season and was not dribbled past once for Liverpool in any competition.

Van Dijk’s transformative effect at Liverpool cannot be understated and winning the Champions League would not only make him the best defender in the world but one of the best players. Liverpool’s defence used to be their biggest weakness but not it’s arguably their biggest strength. Much of that is down to Van Dijk’s sheer presence alone.