The 2019 Champions League final is nearly upon us. At 8pm on Saturday night Liverpool and Tottenham will do battle with the eyes of the world fixed on them.
Liverpool start the game as clear favourites, having reached the final last year and finishing 26 points above Spurs in the Premier League this season. But Tottenham’s dramatic route to the final has left many thinking their name is written on the trophy.
Before Saturday’s clash, we asked our team of reporters to forecast the score, man of the match and where the game will be won and lost, while also making one bold prediction each. Read what they had to say below.
Saturday’s Champions League final will take place at Atletico Madrid’s Wanda Metropolitano
RIATH AL-SAMARRAI
SCORE: Liverpool 2-1
Where the game be won and lost
Spurs didn’t end the season well and I fear they don’t have another big win in them. Liverpool have the momentum and perhaps the marginally stronger 11. Mane v Trippier feels like a mismatch.
Likely man of the match:
Virgil van Dijk
My bold prediction
Harry Kane to start on the bench.
Harry Kane has not played for Spurs since April but is fit and will either start or be on the bench
ROB DRAPER
Score prediction
Liverpool 3-1
Where the game be won and lost
Probably the full backs. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson are ultimately more likely to win that battle. Maybe Kieran Trippier and Danny Rose will neutralise them early on. But, in the long haul, they’ll eventually be exposed. At least one or two assists for Liverpool’s goals will come from those two
Likely man of the match
Sadio Mane. Vying with Son Heung-min to be the most understated footballing superstar of this generation. Gives you goals, assists, speed and technique. Van Dijk’s impact has been massive, which is why he took so much deserved credit. But Mane has been as good.
My bold prediction
Maybe I’m just covering all options here. The above prediction is the most-likely outcome and is the one I need to be judged on. But I can see Mauricio Pochettino going 3-5-2 or maybe with kamikaze full backs in a 4-2-3-1. And unsettling Liverpool with their sheer freneticism of the press, thereby establishing an 2-0 lead at half time. Of course, in light of recent weeks, 2-0 leads (or even 3-0) aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.
Liverpool’s squad going through their paces at the Wanda Metropolitano on Friday
LAURIE WHITWELL
Score prediction
Liverpool 3-2
Where the game be won and lost
Liverpool’s attacking potency will ultimately prove overwhelming
Likely man of the match
Sadio Mane
My bold prediction
Harry Kane to come off the bench and score to give the match a nervy finish.
Liverpool’s Sadio Mane could be a key player in Saturday’s Champions League final in Madrid
JOE BERNSTEIN
Score prediction
Liverpool 2-1… but let’s face it, anything could happen. I’m just giving Klopp’s team the edge because of their front three.
Where the game be won and lost
Mohamed Salah. He is the one player in the country, even more than Eden Hazard, who can rip up and change a game on his own
Likely man of the match
It’ll be Salah if Liverpool win but there’s a strong sense that Hugo Lloris could have a big night. To be World Cup and Champions League winning captain in consecutive seasons is something
My bold prediction
We don’t have a dramatic comeback or a last-minute goal!
If Hugo Lloris performs at his best Tottenham will stand a good chance of causing an upset
Tottenham are battling to win the first ever Champions League trophy in their history
MATT BARLOW
Score prediction
2-2 and Spurs to win on pens. Name on the trophy etc.
Where the game be won and lost
Who dominates in midfield? Can Spurs stop the supply to Salah and Mane? Can they tame Liverpool’s full backs and still exploit space behind them? Harry Winks is crucial to their balance. How sharp is Kane? Who can stay error-free under pressure?
Likely man of the match
Christian Eriksen… big game player. Craft, vision and a steady temperament made for an occasion like this. Possibly his last game for Spurs.
My bold prediction
Moussa Sissoko to score.
Moussa Sissoko will definitely start for Spurs… but will the midfielder get among the goals?
CRAIG HOPE
Score prediction
Liverpool 3-1 Spurs
Where the game be won and lost
Liverpool are simply better, as the league table testifies. I fear Spurs played their final in Amsterdam and being here is a bonus. Salah and Mane will make the difference in the final third.
Likely man of the match
Jordan Henderson has been outstanding at the business end of the season and has been building towards a huge captain’s performance.
My bold prediction
A Mane hat-trick.
Senegal international Mane arrived in Madrid with the rest of the Liverpool squad on Friday
ADRIAN KAJUMBA
Score prediction
Liverpool win 3-2
Where the game be won and lost
Both teams have good goalkeepers, central defenders and will carry big attacking threat.
But Liverpool’s fullbacks are stronger as a pair, especially going forward, and they are stronger in central midfield.
Those will be the two key areas in Madrid.
Likely man of the match
Think this could be one of those games where one of the tireless workers from either side gets that award.
Liverpool have a few of those in Robertson, James Milner and Jordan Henderson while Sissoko and Heung-min Son stand out for Spurs.
My bold prediction
One of the goals scored in Madrid will come as a result of a bad goalkeeping mistake.
Alisson will be hoping that he can produce an error-free performance in Saturday’s showpiece
DOMINIC KING
Score prediction
Liverpool but it will be tight and if they do win it will only be by a single goal. I’d say 2-1 or 1-0.
Where the game be won and lost
Whoever deals with the emotion and tension of the night best will gain the upper hand. Liverpool have the most potent attack and the stronger defence and that gives them the edge. They cannot shy away from the fact they are favourites.
Likely man of the match
It feels like I’ve put Van Dijk’s name to this section in every game this season. If he plays well, Liverpool’s hopes of winning improve immeasurably.
My bold prediction
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain comes off the bench and has a hand in the winning goal.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is expected to be among the Liverpool substitutes in Madrid
SAMI MOKBEL
Score prediction
Liverpool win 3-1
Where the game be won and lost
In Liverpool’s final third. How Tottenham deal with the Reds’ front three will be key.
Likely man of the match
Salah. Redemption for last year’s agonising (in every sense of the word) final loss to Real Madrid
My bold prediction
For Arsenal supporters to emigrate if Tottenham lift the trophy.