Comeback kings set up all-English Champions League Final
Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur will go head-to-head in the Champions League final in Madrid on June 1 after sealing spectacular victories in their respective semi-final ties.
The Reds recovered from a 3-0 first leg deficit against Barcelona by recording a thrilling 4-0 success in the return fixture to spark wild celebrations at Anfield.
Spurs battled back from three goals down after 35 minutes of the second leg of their tie with Ajax to make it 3-3 on aggregate and progress to the final on away goals.
Read on as we assess both team’s chances of success in the final.
Liverpool chasing sixth success in Europe’s top club competition
Liverpool haven’t won the Champions League since 2005, but they have been handed a golden opportunity to put that right this year.
The Reds have lost just one of their last 14 meetings with Spurs in all competitions and are favourites in the Champions League odds to enhance that record in Madrid.
Their performance against Barcelona was certainly remarkable, with the much-vaunted La Liga giants freezing in the face of relentless Liverpool pressure.
It was the first time since 1986 – when Barca knocked Gothenburg out of the old European Cup – that a team have recovered from a three-goal first-leg deficit to win a semi-final in this competition.
Liverpool are the first English side to reach back-to-back Champions League finals since Manchester United achieved the feat in 2008 and 2009.
They will certainly fancy their chances of winning the competition for a sixth time having completed the double over Spurs in the Premier League this season.
Tottenham’s fightback against Ajax highlights their spirit
Plenty of pundits were quick to heap praise on Liverpool for their recovery against Barca, but Spurs’ fightback in Amsterdam was equally impressive.
Lucas Moura’s second-half hat-trick, crowned by a dramatic 96th-minute winner, secured Spurs’ spot in an all-English Champions League final.
To achieve the feat on foreign soil against an Ajax side who had knocked out Real Madrid and Juventus in previous rounds was a remarkable achievement.
They are only the second team in Champions League history to lose the first leg of the semi-final at home and progress to the final – the other was Ajax against Panathinaikos in 1995/96.
Spurs had lost their three previous semi-finals in all competitions, including a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out defeat by Chelsea in this season’s Carabao Cup.
However, they have disproved the notion that they can’t handle big occasions and will provide a massive test for Liverpool in the final.
Champions League final prediction
Having enjoyed plenty of previous success in European competitions, Liverpool will head to Madrid as worthy favourites to win the Champions League.
Their recent record against Spurs is excellent, but they would be foolish to underestimate the threat posed by Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
Spurs have produced some remarkable results throughout this season’s competition and they will undoubtedly relish the underdog tag in the final.
With the possibility that Spurs could have striker Harry Kane back from injury for the game, they appeal as the value bet in what should be a thrilling contest.
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