Photo by Dennis1989 / CC BY-SA 4.0
The biggest prize in European football
It’s the biggest final between two English sides in quite some time. In fact, it’s arguably bigger than the Champions League Final between Man United and Chelsea. Whichever manager wins is on course to go down as a legend and whoever loses could find themselves under intense scrutiny during the summer. So who do we think will win? Well, it’s not quite so cut and dry as you may think.
Pochettino’s chances
Some will say that the Argentinian was lucky to get as far as he has in the competition, but the fact is, Spurs are there on merit. They beat Borussia Dortmund 4-0 over two legs and who can forget the Man City second leg with all the VAR controversy that surrounded the match. Of course, Poch will be thankful that VAR got it right with that goal Sterling scored, but it’s still far from being the perfect refereeing system you’ll find on the likes of Pro Evolution Soccer or FIFA. But for Spurs, it certainly worked when called upon.
The fact that Spurs have made it through the group stages, and both the City and Ajax ties by the skin of their teeth has become something of a stick to beat Pochettino with. They’re lucky and will be found out in the final is the now familiar cry. But we beg to differ. While the 2-1 loss at home to Liverpool early on in the season really could have been a lot more embarrassing, the defeat at Anfield in March was a much closer affair. Pochettino has taken a leaf out of the Jurgen Klopp book of coaching and instilled in his team a never-say-die attitude that just might see them over the line.
The pressure on Pochettino isn’t quite as intense as no one in their right mind expected Spurs to be in with a shout for any silverware this season. After spending the sum total of nothing in the summer transfer window, expectations were understandably quite low. A place in the final should be seen as a huge achievement in itself and anything else a very welcome bonus. The pressure he is under, however, is in terms of his contract situation and his willingness to commit to the club. With Juventus now on the lookout for a new manager, it’s entirely possible that win or lose in Madrid, Poch will be on a flight to Italy.
Klopp’s final hoodoo
Photo by Tim.Reckmann / CC BY-SA 3.0
Klopp’s Dortmund side lost the all German final to Bayern Munich
This will be Klopp’s fourth final as a Liverpool manager and the third in Europe, and so far he has nothing to show for his endeavours. In fact, his record as a manager at both Liverpool and Dortmund shows just how poor his form in European finals is. Three finals and three defeats. The pressure is on for the fourth installment.
With all the talk of his potential (imaginary) move to Switzerland should they lose on June 1st, it’s easy to focus on the fact that he seems to be the perennial second place finisher. The truth, however, is that he has built an incredible team with huge potential to kick on and join Man City in dominating the Premier League. A win in Madrid will be the icing on the cake, but a loss won’t necessarily be a disaster.
The fact that the majority of this team were present in Kiev just last season plays a huge role in the preparations for the match. It’s hard to imagine that the likes of Henderson, Robertson, and even Trent Alexander will feel overawed by the magnitude of the final and what it would mean to their club’s supporters. They made it to the final last season and did so again this year. They’ll have the belief that this is not their only chance to get their hands on the European Cup.
Spurs, on the other hand, are a different matter and that’s why Klopp may just edge this contest. Klopp has instilled a belief in his side that they can achieve anything. Indeed, their 97 points tally of this season would have been good enough to win the Premier League in all but one of 26 previous campaigns. Their comeback against Barcelona was nothing short of magnificent, and they are riding on a wave of self-belief that will likely see them approach the game with a more relaxed approach than their Spurs counterparts. Liverpool will have learned from the debacle of Kiev, and with that experience under their belts, it’s hard to imagine anything other than Klopp with the European Cup in his arms at John Lennon Airport.