Liverpool chases 6th European Cup, Tottenham seeks 1st title
MADRID (AP) — Liverpool is looking to become European champion for a sixth time and Tottenham is chasing glory for the first time in the Champions League final on Saturday.
Tens of thousands of English fans are descending on Madrid for the week’s second all-English final in a European competition.
It’s been a less challenging trip for Tottenham and Liverpool fans than their Arsenal and Chelsea counterparts who had to travel from London to Baku, Azerbaijan for Wednesday’s Europa League final.
But Tottenham and Liverpool didn’t make it to Madrid the easy way on the field. Both had to overcome 3-0 deficits in their Champions League semifinals, with Liverpool stunning Barcelona and Tottenham defeating Ajax with almost the last kick of the second leg.
Tottenham hasn’t reached any continental final since winning the now-defunct UEFA Cup in 1984. And this season has been only the north London club’s sixth appearance in the European Cup — with five qualifications coming since 2010.
Liverpool is England’s most successful side in the European Cup, lifting the trophy five times — most recently in 2005. But the Merseyside club lost the 2007 final and again last year to Real Madrid.
That was the sixth successive final Juergen Klopp has lost, with the Liverpool manager yet to win a trophy since joining the team in 2015. The team only missed out on a first English title since 1990 when Manchester City defended its title by one-point.
While Tottenham finished fourth in the Premier League, Mauricio Pochettino’s side was 26 points behind second-place Liverpool. Lifting the European Cup would be Pochettino’s first silverware since joining Tottenham five years ago.
Harry Kane is in line to play for Tottenham for the first time since sustaining an ankle injury in the quarterfinals first leg against Manchester City almost two months ago. Liverpool will have Roberto Firmino fit again after the forward missed the last three matches of the season with a thigh problem.
