Everything on... Liverpool

We're counting down the hours to the Champions League Final. We take on Liverpool at Atletico Madrid's Wanda Metropolitano Stadium on Saturday (9pm local/8pm UK).

It's been quite a journey from Milan to Madrid as we've hauled ourselves up from having just one point after three group matches and overcome thrilling quarter and semi-finals against Manchester City and Ajax to reach our first-ever Champions League Final.

Liverpool enjoyed an extraordinary season in the Premier League - 97 points, one defeat in 38 - yet lost out to City by a point.

We've met twice this season - here's everything you need to know about our opponents from Anfield... 

Team news

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is expecting striker Roberto Firmino to be fit and available for selection. However, midfielder Naby Keita is set to miss the game having been sidelined with an abductor injury since the first leg of their semi-final clash with Barcelona at the start of May.

One to watch

Trent Alexander-Arnold may only be 20 years old but since breaking into the Liverpool first team back in October, 2016 - coincidentally, making his debut for the Reds against us in the League Cup - the defender has continually shown ability and maturity beyond his years.

Competent at the back in supporting the Premier League’s strongest defence, the youngster has also demonstrated his quality on the front foot as he has produced 16 assists this season - 12 of them in the top flight, which was the third highest recorded in the division and the most for a defender.

Alexander-Arnold's ability to create chances was noted by England boss Gareth Southgate after a terrific breakthrough campaign in 2017/18 and the full-back went on to make his Three Lions’ debut against Costa Rica in June, 2018, before making last summer's World Cup squad.

Last five meetings

31 March, 2019 – Liverpool 2-1 Spurs – Premier League
15 September, 2018 – Spurs 1-2 Liverpool – Premier League
4 February, 2018 – Liverpool 2-2 Spurs – Premier League
22 October, 2017 – Spurs 4-1 Liverpool – Premier League
11 February, 2017 – Liverpool 2-0 Spurs – Premier League

Previous clash

We pushed Liverpool all the way before suffering a heartbreaking late loss in our last meeting at Anfield back in March. The Reds took the lead on 16 minutes when Roberto Firmino headed home Andrew Robertson’s cross but having taken control in the second half, we were back on terms with 20 minutes left to play as Lucas Moura prodded the ball home. Moussa Sissoko fired a golden chance over on the break with five minutes remaining and we were made to pay in the last minute when Mo Salah's header was blocked by Hugo Lloris only to ricochet back off Toby Alderweireld and agonisingly over the line.

Liverpool’s journey to Madrid

Like us, Jurgen Klopp’s side crept into the knockout stages of the competition on goal difference after battling through a fiercely fought Group C. Up against French champions Paris Saint Germain, Italian giants Napoli and Serbian SuperLiga winners FK Crvena Zvezda, the Reds suffered defeats in each of their away trips (Napoli 0-1, Crvena Zvezda 0-2 and PSG 1-2). However, in the reverse fixtures at Anfield, they collected maximum points (3-2 PSG, 4-0 Crvena Zvezda) and went through in MD6 after beating Napoli 1-0.

Another tough test would follow for the five-time winners in the round of 16 as German giants Bayern Munich would offer the opposition - the task even tougher after they were unable to find a winner in the first leg at Anfield, a goalless draw. But, for the first time in the competition this season, they found a way to win away, producing a commanding display at the Allianz Arena to progress to the final eight with a 3-1 triumph.

The quarter-finals proved an easier task for Klopp’s team with a 6-1 aggregate win over Portuguese outfit Porto - next up, Barcelona in the semi-finals.

Lionel Messi turned on the style in the first leg, scoring twice as the La Liga champions won 3-0 at the Nou Camp and it looked like, barring a miracle, they were heading out of the competition. Yet back at Anfield, a special night. Four goals without reply - all without Salah and Firmino - and Liverpool were in the final.

Magic moment

It was goals galore at Wembley back in October, 2017, as we put four past the Reds in the Premier League. Harry Kane set us on our way with less than four minutes on the clock before Heung-Min Son raced through the middle of Liverpool’s defence to make it two, eight minutes later. The away side halved the deficit midway through the first period thanks to Mo Salah but a carefully-measured volley from Dele Alli restored our two-goal advantage on the stroke of half-time. Harry capped a display to remember with the fourth in the second half, making it 4-1.

Played for both

One of the game's true characters, Peter Crouch spent three seasons at both Spurs and Liverpool. Known for his 6ft 7in frame, his robot celebration and some truly memorable goals, 'Crouchy' began his career with us, graduating from our academy in 1998 but he departed two years later without making a first team appearance.

After spells at QPR, Villa and Southampton, the striker moved to Liverpool in 2005, reaching the Champions League Final in 2007. He scored 42 goals in 134 games for the Reds before joining Pompey in 2008 and then Spurs at the start of the 2009/10 campaign.

Crouchy will forever be linked with the Champions League at Spurs. He scored the winner at City to clinch fourth in the Premier League and therefore qualify for the Champions League play-offs. He then scored a hat-trick in the play-off to take us into the group stage, scored our first goal in the group stage at Werder Bremen and was on target in our famous 3-1 win against holders Inter. He then scored the winner in the last 16 first leg against AC Milan.

Since leaving us in 2012, he's represented Stoke and Burnley and reached 100 goals in the Premier League. Capped 42 times by England, scoring 22 goals, he played in the World Cup in 2006 and 2010 and still going strong at the age of 38, he has approaching 750 career appearances to his name.

What they’re saying

In front of the assembled media at Liverpool’s Melwood training centre on Tuesday afternoon, manager Jurgen Klopp discussed the impact that an all-Premier League affair could have on the Madrid final.

“It will be very tight, no doubt,” Klopp admitted. “The quality of Tottenham and us is pretty similar. The difference between us in the league was consistency. We won both games against Tottenham, but both 2-1.

“We had brilliant periods in (those) games where I think we deserved to win, but especially the home game was an absolutely tight game with a lucky goal in pretty much the last minute. So that’s what we expect, there’s no doubt about that.

“(Mauricio Pochettino) is right that the emotions will be completely different. You have to use all the things you used during the season but in the specific circumstances. We are all human beings; it’s a special game and after that it’s no game anymore. Bringing ourselves in the right mood is, for us, the job to do, to really play the game we want to play.

“We know a lot about Tottenham, of course. But we had three weeks. After these three weeks I would have known the name of the groundsman of Barcelona as well if they had been the opponent. That’s how the football world is. We would have known exactly the same against each other team in the world. But we played against them, so we know it’s difficult, Tottenham know it’s difficult. Let’s play a difficult game and let’s win it.”