KIEV – Liverpool will attempt to end Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid srecent dominance in the Champions League when the sides meet in today sfinal in Kiev, with Reds manager Jurgen Klopp insisting experience is noteverything.
The goals of Mohamed Salah have helped the English side reach their firstfinal in 11 years, but this has been a golden era in Europe for Real.
The Spanish giants are targeting their fourth Champions League title infive years and their third in a row in the game, which kicks off at 1845GMT.
The last team to win three in a row was Bayern Munich over 40 yearsago. None of Klopp s players have appeared in a Champions League finalbefore.
“Experience is important. I m pretty sure that in the seconds before thegame Real will be more confident than we are, but that s not importantbecause the game doesn t end in that moment, it only starts,” said Klopp,who lost the 2013 final with Borussia Dortmund.
Real s 12 European Cup wins puts them way ahead of the rest, but Liverpoolhave lifted the trophy five times, most recently in 2005, against AC Milanin Istanbul.
The Reds have also enjoyed a memorable continental campaign, scoring atournament record 46 goals and beating Manchester City and Roma en route tothe Ukrainian capital.
Zidane s side have beaten Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Bayern — thisseason s French, Italian and German champions — in the knockout rounds,but Klopp still believes his team can upset the odds at the Olympic Stadium.
“You analyse Real Madrid playing in other games against other teams and youthink wow, they are really strong , but they never played us.
“We are Liverpool and we are not just a good team. This club has in its DNAthat we can really go for the big things. Nobody expected us to be here butwe are here because we are Liverpool.”——————————
*Salah s fantastic potential *——————————
Klopp agreed that his job in the build-up has mainly involved taking thepressure off his players, and that meant playing down suggestions that thiswas Salah s chance to break up Lionel Messi and Ronaldo s grip on theBallon d Or.
“It s not important in the moment, no manager is interested in that. I minterested in performing.
“Lionel Messi and Ronaldo deserve all the praise they have had in the pastbecause they were constantly all those years on that level.
“If Mo can go there we will see in the next years. He he has fantasticpotential. This season was exceptional, unbelievable so far.”
Salah has scored 44 goals in his first season at the club. As a Muslim, hehas observed Ramadan since May 16, but Klopp refused to discuss whether theEgyptian would fast during daylight hours before the final.
“Religion is private, that is how I understand it, so nothing to say aboutthat,” he stated.——————————
*Ronaldo targets new landmark*——————————
Meanwhile, Ronaldo could win his fifth Champions League, a landmark reachedby only four players before now.
The Portuguese star has found the net 41 times this season, and his coachis confident he will be at his very best again.
“He s fine. You have to know something, he lives for games like this,” saidZinedine Zidane, who can become the first coach to win three consecutiveChampions League titles.
The only doubt in the Real starting line-up surrounds which one of Isco orGareth Bale will start in support of Ronaldo and Karim Benzema up front.
“We have beaten the biggest team in each league — Juve, PSG and Bayern –to get here. It has been a difficult path and now we need to finish thejob,” said Real skipper Sergio Ramos.
The path to Kiev has also been difficult for fans, due to the exorbitantcost of flights and hotel rooms.
Around 1,000 Real fans handed back tickets, while a number of Liverpoolsupporters flights have been cancelled due to insufficient landing spaceat Kiev s Boryspil Airport.
Those who have made it after often arduous journeys will be hoping for anunforgettable occasion. – APP/AFP