“Liverpool have the desire for revenge, Real go for the daily miracle”

Two of the most traditional houses of European football, which together have 19 European Cups, will meet this May 22 in Paris to measure forces in the Champions League final.

On the one hand is Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool, a monster of hyper-performance (60% effectiveness) that adds its third Champions League final in 5 years.

Klopp’s idea is simple, the application complicated: recovering the ball as soon as it is lost, wherever it is, even before rearming ranks as tactical orthodoxy dictates. The concept of “gegenpressen” or counter pressure makes sense: when a player wins a throw, he has expended energy and is not aware of the exact position of his teammates at the moment, which makes him vulnerable to pressure and takes away from his precision in the shot. next pass. Variants more or less, is a key tool in the proposals of Bielsa and Guardiola. What does a team need to be able to apply this system? Physical exhaustion, discipline and conviction.

Liverpool have all this: Allison is a reliable goalkeeper; on the wings, Alexander Arnold and Robinson attack, cover and relieve; Van Dijk and Matip are two classic centre-backs, either of whom can be replaced by Konate; Fabinho, in the middle, is the anchor, accompanied by Keita and Thiago Alcantara (with two luxury options on the bench: Henderson and Milner); on the wings Mané and Salah, now with the option of Luis Díaz, are by far the most electric trio of attackers in world football; From 9, sometimes retired, sometimes from the area, Diogo Jota fulfills the difficult task of replacing Firmino.

In their favour, Liverpool have it all: they are superior to any club in both man-to-man and running. A desire motivates them: to get revenge for the 2017-18 season, the one they lost due to Karius’ bloopers. Against? A certain wear and tear that only Diaz’s freshness helps to mitigate.

In the other corner, Real Madrid shines with a unique light in Europe. His murderous legend demoralizes: he is capable of always performing above his means, defeating superior opponents and liquidating more wordy candidates with character and shirt.

Against City he did something that few can: he forced them to play the wrong game. Throughout the first half, Guardiola’s tactical genius was shipwrecked by Ancelotti’s severe classicism, convinced that a well-planted 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 (depending on how Valverde’s function is understood) is enough to undo novelties and assert the house. He may be right, if you analyze how Carletto has managed to recover the forcefulness that the meringues once had with Ronaldo, only without him. Against PSG, like Chelsea and Manchester City, they were outplayed in most games, although that doesn’t seem to matter much when you have the best goalkeeper in the world, Courtois, and the fittest striker, Benzema. The game is the means, the Italian seems to say, not the end.

In favor, Real Madrid has everything: key by key, regardless of rival or pomp, they have imposed their logic without there being an explanation other than magical thinking: “This is how Madrid wins”. It is a statement that stands on its own, game by game, to build the narrative of a daily miracle. That desire motivates them: to extend their epic cup. Against? The defense, patchy and second-rate, is not up to the task: City scored 5 goals against them in two games; Chelsea, 4.

The weapons are defined: high pressure, fast transitions, possession and control vs. orthodoxy, pragmatism, punch and myth. Klopp vs Ancelotti. The owners of Europe.