Tottenham Hotspur take on Liverpool in the first all English Champions League final since
2008, when Manchester United defeated Chelsea on penalties. That was the first all English
final ever, and 2019 will see and English team lift the Champions League for the first
time since 2012, when Chelsea saw off Bayern Munich, also on penalties. Liverpool have
a chance to lay the ghost of Kiev 2018 to rest, while for Spurs, this is uncharted territory.
As these stats from OneFootball show, Tottenham’s progress in the Champions League has seen
fewer goals scored per game, and more conceded, than Liverpool’s. But both sides have overcome
seemingly impossible deficits to reach the final, and neither manager will take anything
for granted.
Both Mauricio Pochettino and Jurgen Klopp have injury concerns ahead of this fixture.
Even if, for example, Harry Kane or Roberto Firmino are passed fit to play, they may not
be in peak condition. This means that a degree of flexibility, or adaptability may be called
for.
In this, Spurs have the advantage. While Tottenham have used 28 players this season, the joint
third most in the Premier League, Liverpool have used only 23, the joint second fewest.
In the Champions League, Liverpool have also deployed their standard 4-3-3 almost every
game, only using a 4-2-3-1 once; Tottenham, on the other hand, generally used a 4-2-3-1,
but also set up as a 4-3-1-2, and used varieties of three at the back on three occasions.
This means that it’s difficult to predict what line-up and system Pochettino will use.
Jurgen Klopp has shown real excellence at coaching his team to play a certain style
of football – fast, direct, involving high degrees of pressing – and he’s also good
at making substitutions that alter the complexion of games. But his system, which requires time
for players to learn and relies to a significant degree on the quality of its component parts,
especially the front three, is less adaptable. This is why Giorgino Wijnaldum was used in
place of Firmino against Barcelona – although as a central midfielder playing as a false
nine, he had less attacking threat, the system could remain the same and, crucially, retain
its pressing ability.
Spurs, on the other hand, have not just a variety of systems to fall back on, but because
they’ve used more players, may be inherently more adaptative. This means that Klopp will
need to read quickly what Spurs are doing and potentially react; at the very least,
he will have a harder time prepping his team on what to expect.
Liverpool will likely seek to impose their tempo and style on the game, and Spurs will
need to counter this. Their own press will be important, but they must also match Liverpool
physically, especially in midfield where Jordan Henderson and Fabinho especially offer a presence
to Liverpool that so unsettled Barcelona. Moussa Sissoko will be key for Spurs in this
battle, and Victor Wanyama could play a key role too.
Perhaps more importantly, both teams will want to dominate the wide areas especially
– in Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson, Liverpool possess the two form full-backs
in the Premier League, while Spurs Kieran Trippier and Danny Rose are also significant
attacking threats. If Pochettino opts for a three-man back line, this could assist in
either pushing back the Liverpool full backs, or luring them forwards towards Spurs’ wing
backs and then hitting the wide spaces behind them with attacking midfielders.
Dele Alli could also play a key role in this – should Spurs look to hit the space in
behind the full backs, having one player move wide will be insufficient to create Liverpool
issues, and so Dele Alli’s movement into the channels between the full back and centre
back will allow Spurs to work a numerical overload and either create room to pass or
cross, or draw a Liverpool centre back forwards to close, affording room to attack through
the middle.
Lastly, Spurs also can adapt to a Plan B that could cause Liverpool issues. This Plan B
is the introduction of Fernando Llorente. While Son Heung-Min and Lucas Moura will likely
start, especially if Kane is deemed unfit, Llorente provides a different option, one
used to great effect against Ajax in the semi-final second leg. Llorente affords a more direct
threat, whereby Spurs can look to cross or play longer balls towards the striker.
Liverpool will need to ensure they either press even higher to bring the defensive line
towards the midfield line, keeping Llorente away from goal and maximising the chance to
win or clear any knock-downs or flick-ons, or, if the defence cedes space, the midfield
will have to drop off to prevent Spurs’ wily midfielders from effecting shooting chances
or opportunities to burst beyond Llorente.
This will, in turn, either force Liverpool’s front line to drop in order to retain vertical
compactness, or will open gaps between the Liverpool midfield and attacking line – not
such a problem if Liverpool can clear and turn the space into an attacking weapon, but
an issue if Spurs are also able to push high, congest the middle third, and prevent Liverpool’s
front three from getting possession and launching attacks.
In this way, the introduction of Llorente would likely push Liverpool back across the
pitch, not just in their own defensive third; this Plan B does offer Pochettino some versatility
and an attacking threat, but it also blunts Spurs speedy interplay on the ground, and
so it comes with caveats.
It is likely that this game will see Liverpool try to impress their style on the game, and
Spurs seek to circumvent that with tactical changes before the game, or changes within
it to pose Liverpool problems. Liverpool will probably act, and Spurs react. Liverpool,
who beat Spurs home and away in the league, may have a fractionally psychological advantage
but, in the heat of a one off game, what matters is who solves the problems posed by the other
team on the night. It will be an intriguing battle.