MADRID, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Tottenham will face Liverpool in the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid on Saturday night in what promises to be a fascinating Champions League final.
Liverpool travel to Madrid as favorites after finishing second in the Premier League on 97 points (the first time a team with over 90 points has not won the title), while Tottenham faded badly to end the domestic campaign 26 points behind in fourth.
Liverpool also have the experience of playing last season's final, which they lost 3-1 to Real Madrid in Kiev, an experience Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp has said the loss helped inspire this season's European campaign.
Klopp's side have got past rivals such as Porto, Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona on the road to Madrid, overturning a 3-0 defeat in Barcelona with an epic 4-0 win over Barca in Anfield to book their Champions League final ticket.
Klopp will be without the influential Nabi Keita for the game, but has said that striker Roberto Firmino will be fit to play.
Tottenham captain Harry Kane has said that he will be able to start after missing the last six weeks with an ankle injury, while Harry Winks should also be available for Spurs after a similar spell on the sidelines.
The side coached by Mauricio Pochettino knocked out Premier League champions, Manchester City in the quarter-finals before producing a miraculous comeback from 3-0 down on aggregate against Ajax to qualify on away goals as Lucas Moura netted a second half hat-trick in the Johan Cruyff Arena, with the last goal coming in the 95th minute in the return leg.
Pochettino will have to decide whether the influential Kane will start, but given that Moura, Heung Min-Son and Fernando Llorente have all been influential during his absence, the captain may have to be content with a place on the bench.
Liverpool beat Spurs in their two domestic matches this campaign, but Klopp has stressed that both of those games were close affairs decided by the odd goal. The German side will look to pressure Tottenham high up the field and look to Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah's pace, as well as the width provided by their over lapping full-backs, Trent Alexander Arnold and Andy Robertson to cause Spurs damage.
Tottenham meanwhile can be expected to try and play on the break, looking for long balls for Maura and Son to chase down and to exploit any space behind the Liverpool defense.
