Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur Preview
Good Day fellow Reds!! Tomorrow is the day that we have all waited for since May 26th of last year. The conquerors of Europe look to bring home their sixth European Cup as they take on Tottenham Hotspur at 3pm ET. The two clubs will meet at The Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain. Temperature at kickoff is to be in the upper eighties with clear skies. Should make for an excellent night for football, although that is a touch on the warm side.
Injuries and Suspensions
With a seventeen day lay-off, Liverpool come into tomorrow almost completely healthy. The only man slated to miss the match is Naby Keita who is still trying to recover from the injury he received against Barcelona in the first leg of the semi-final. Bobby was given the “all clear” but Klopp was mum on whether or not he will start, saying, “Yes he’s ready. If he will start…if Poch (Pochettino) afterwards says his exact line-up then call me and I will tell you our line-up as well. If not, then I thought I’d keep at least a few question marks open.” Nice to see that the gaffer’s sense of humor is still on point.
On the Spurs side, its a bit more complex. Harry Kane by all accounts is healthy. He has said that he is 100% ready to go. The question though is, even though he is world class, do Spurs play better without him in the line-up? They got past Abu Dhabi FC and came back against Ajax without him. I think Poch is in a no win here. If he starts and LFC win, he’ll face the questions of “why start him and disrupt the chemistry?”. If Poch doesn’t start him and they lose, its ” How can’t you start Harry Kane in a cup final?”. I think you have to start him. If he is fit and Poch leaves him on the bench, they might as well just leave Kane in Madrid because that is where he will be playing next year.
How they got here.
Liverpool have arrived at their destiny by beating Bayern in the round of 16, dismantling Porto in the quarter-finals, and having the greatest comeback in European history since the allies in World War II against Barcelona.
Spurs come into the final after taking out Dortmund in the round of 16, then eliminating The Abu Dhabi Plastics in the quarters, then staging their own dramatic comeback against Ajax in the semis.
Lineup and Predictions
LFC will lift their sixth European Cup tomorrow evening, and this will be the line-up that will claim their place in Anfield lore. Alisson will glove up and look to keep the sheet clean. Across the back, it’ll be the best left back in Europe in Robbo, then Matip and The Colossus in the middle pairing, with the taker of the cheekiest corner ever, and local lad Trent Alexander-Arnold at right back. The middle three will consist of Fabinho, Henderson, and Gini. Last but certainly not least, the front three will go back to what got them here two years in a row. Bobby, Mane, and Mo.
Hendo will lift Ol’ Big Ears with Liverpool coming out on top 3-0. Mo gets on with a brace after his heart breaking exit from last years final. LFC have the experience and just the way this team has gone about its business this year point to a victory.
I want to thank everyone for an awesome season. American Scouser has come a long way since I jumped on back in September. We have some exciting things in the works moving forward and are very excited about some of the ideas we have. This blog and podcast would not be possible without you guys taking time from your busy days to give us a read or a listen. On a personal note I would like to thank Timucin for being the driving force behind all of this, and giving some kid from Pittsburgh with no background in any type of writing, a chance to be able to express my love for this great club, and connecting with the single greatest fan base on earth. This truly does Mean More.
Lift ‘Er for the sixth time Lads!
Y.N.W.A.
-Hooch-