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Liverpool team news: Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino fitness concern revealed
REAL MADRID will beat Liverpool in the Champions League final because the Reds will be too “tired”, claims European football expert Gabriele Marcotti.
Marcotti believes Liverpool’s style of play under Jurgen Klopp will have taken a lot out of the side this season.
He reckons star forwards Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino in particular will be suffering from exhaustion.
Real Madrid vs Liverpool: Live Champions League final coverage!
The in-form pair are expected to start tonight.
But that is why Marcotti thinks Real Madrid will make it three Champions League successes in a row.
“I’ve gone for 2-0 to Real Madrid,” Marcotti told ESPN FC.
Rarely do we see Salah and Firmino just walking around, recovering. I think it’s taken a lot out of Liverpool, that would be my concern
“I think so (Real can keep a clean sheet).
“I’ve looked at the number of minutes played this season. It’s not just the minutes played, but it’s the way they’ve played those minutes.
“Rarely do we see Salah and Firmino just walking around, recovering.
“I think it’s taken a lot out of Liverpool, that would be my concern.”
Former Arsenal midfielder and ESPN pundit Stewart Robson agrees with Marcotti that tiredness will become a factor for Liverpool.
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“I’m going to go with 3-1 to Real Madrid,” Robson said.
“I just think Liverpool will be really tired at some point.
“They’ll start the game with great intensity, or try to play the game with great intensity.
“Real Madrid have too much for them, they’ll play around them and eventually that will tell and they’ll get tired.
“That’s when Real Madrid will win the game.”
Champions League final stats
- Liverpool have been behind for a total of only 82 minutes during the whole of their run to the final.
- The Reds have scored 134 goals this season in 55 matches. Only once have they totalled more, in 1985-86 when they hit 138 in 63 fixtures.
- Salah has scored 44 goals for Liverpool this season - the same total that Cristiano Ronaldo has netted for Real.
- Ronaldo has scored three times in 11 appearances against Liverpool with United and Real, winning seven and losing three.
- Zinedine Zidane has yet to lose a Champions League knockout tie since his appointment - winning nine two-legged ties and two finals.
- James Milner leads the way in this season's competition for assists, with nine. Teammate Roberto Firmino has eight.