Liverpool, Madrid to battle it out for Champions League glory in Paris

PARIS: Salah hopes to avenge final loss

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is still pained by the memory of going off injured in the 2018 Champions League final against Real Madrid, saying that he would use the hurt as motivation when the two teams meet again in Paris on Saturday (Sunday in IST). Salah had to be substituted in the first half of the final four years ago as he was hauled down by former Real central defender Sergio Ramos. The Spanish heavyweight went on to win the title decider 3-1. “I remember when I went out after 30 minutes or something, it was the worst moment of my career,” Salah told reporters recently.

“I was really, really down after that. I knew the result after the game because I was in the hospital. I was like, ‘We cannot lose the game in that way’. I never had that feeling before in football.” Liverpool defeated Tottenham Hotspur in the final of Europe’s elite club competition a year later, but the 29-year-old Egyptian said that he still has unfinished business with the La Liga champion. “After what happened with Madrid last time and after what happened on Sunday (referring to the Premier League’s final weekend), everyone is motivated to win the Champions League,” said Salah, who has scored eight goals in the CL this season. “This is an unbelievable trophy for us and we have fought for it every season since I have been here.”

Real counts on big-game experience

Real Madrid is confident heading into the Champions League final against Liverpool and will count on its big-game experience but there is no firm favourite for the crown, according to veteran midfielder Luka Modric.

“We have certain experience in this competition. Some of the players have played four times in the final of the Champions League. Now, we are lucky to be in the fifth one. We need to try to be normal like we have been all season,” the 36-year-old Modric told BT Sport.

Modric said that manager Carlo Ancelotti, who had helped the Spanish side win its 10th CL title in 2014, has not changed a lot to get the team back to the final. “He is the same. What we like about him is his personality, his humility, how he speaks with the players and how he approaches us,” Modric added.

“When you have a person like him around you, you give more on the pitch. You give more for him. That is why Carlo is a special coach, one of the best in the world of football. The human side of him is the best, which is what we like the most.”

Real lost one leg in each of its knockout ties against Paris St Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City, but did enough to reach the final. “We are strong, the mentality aspect is really good,” Real boss Ancelotti said.

“The personality and experience this team has, you cannot say it was luck. I am really proud of my players. I did not have any problems managing them. They were professional, even those who did not play,” added Ancelotti.

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