Liverpool must be brave to match Real experience - Klopp

Published on: 21 May 2018

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Real Madrid experience important, but it's not everything - Klopp

Jurgen Klopp believes his Liverpool side's "desire, attitude and work-rate" can help them beat "experienced" 12-time European champions Real Madrid.

Five-time winners Liverpool face the Spanish giants, who are attempting to win their third straight Champions League, in Saturday's final in Kiev.

The Reds are into the final for the first time since 2007.

"Real Madrid are more experienced," said Klopp. "Experience is important in life but it is not the only thing."

He added: "You can level it with desire, attitude and work-rate, and that is why I love football."

Klopp has urged his team to be "brave" and play in the same manner that saw them beat runaway Premier League champions Manchester City in the quarter-finals and Roma in the semi-finals.

"We will try in a very positive way to show the boys why it makes so much sense to be really brave," added Klopp. "It was not easy to be brave against Manchester City, it was not easy to be brave against Roma. But the boys did it."

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Joe Gomez, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Joel Matip have already been ruled out of the final.

But German midfielder Emre Can, who has missed the past two months with a back injury, trained with the rest of the squad at Anfield on Monday.

Klopp was cautious about Can being involved in the final, adding: "It depends always on the reaction. But let me put it this way, 10 days ago I didn't think it is possible he could do what he did today. It looked good. It was really positive but we have to wait.

"The door is open - he is really desperate to be a part. We shall see."

James Milner, who missed the final Premier League game of the season against Brighton, also trained.

Liverpool need to play 'perfect' match

Former Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso, who won the Champions League with both Liverpool and Real Madrid, told AFP: "I think that to win, Liverpool will have to play an almost perfect match and will have to prepare everything in every detail, analysing all the strengths and weaknesses of Madrid and how to tackle them.

"I don't think Madrid will change the way they play for Liverpool. I think they've had a very specific way of playing in recent years, and the players know how to orchestrate it very well. In fact, it's in the big games that they're the best, and I'm sure we'll see a great Real Madrid in the final."

BBC Euro Leagues Football Show analysis

Julien Laurens: "I think Liverpool have been the best team in the competition this year - they've been outstanding from start to finish. The two weeks' break they will have had since their last Premier League game could be huge - just to get some rest and prepare in the right way. It's quite an even final despite the experience Real Madrid have over this Liverpool squad."

Raphael Honigstein: "The biggest problem that Liverpool have is there is no Team B. There is very little they can do to change the flow halfway through the game if they're not on top. Real Madrid are the exact opposite. They have Gareth Bale in reserve, probably Isco and Marco Asensio too. It's a bit frightening. Liverpool need to score a lot of goals before thinking Real can't come back."

James Horncastle: "Liverpool know all they need is 20 minutes of that surge football where they're so hard to live with. I followed Juventus all the way through last year's campaign. The feeling within that group of players was that it was their year. And then Madrid found a way. They are also a team that in 15 minutes can completely blow you away - they have a gear some other teams don't have."

Listen to the show here

Source: bbc.com

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