As we all know that two British teams will lock horn today for Europe’s most prestigious �
The two sides had equally dramatic routes to the final. Liverpool beat Barcelona 4-0 at Anfield to overturn a 3-0 first-leg deficit. And Lucas Moura scored a second-half hat-trick as Spurs came from 3-0 down on aggregate to beat Ajax on away goals.
Both sides had only narrowly came through their groups, with Liverpool losing all three away games.
Tottenham have come within 20 minutes of being eliminated five times – in each of their final three group games, the quarter-final against Manchester City and against Ajax, when they were seconds away from defeat.
In fact, whoever wins Saturday’s final will have lost more Champions League games in a season (four) than anyone since the current format started in 2003-04. The previous high was AC Milan’s three in 2007.
It is the first final between two non-group winners since 2010 and the first not to feature a team who have won their own league in the 21st century.Match stats – can Mane score in consecutive finals?
Liverpool are playing in their ninth European Cup/Champions League final – more than any other English side. They’ve won the trophy five times, but have lost their past two finals (2007 and 2018).
Tottenham are playing in their first ever European Cup/Champions League final. The past five first-time finalists have lost – Chelsea 2008, Arsenal 2006, Monaco 2004, Bayer Leverkusen 2002 and Valencia 2000.
The last side to lose consecutive Champions League finals were Valencia in 2000 and 2001.
This will be Tottenham’s first European final since the 1984 Uefa Cup. They are looking to become just the third English side to win all three major Uefa tournaments, including the old Cup Winners’ Cup.
Liverpool have lost their past four finals since winning the 2012 League Cup. Spurs have lost their past two finals since the 2008 League Cup.
Sadio Mane could become the first player to score in back-to-back European Cup finals since Franz Roth with Bayern Munich in 1975 and 1976.
This is Jurgen Klopp’s third major European final with Liverpool – only Bob Paisley (four) has ever reached more with the club.
