After a dramatic week in the Champions League, Jason Burt digests where the final between Liverpool and Tottenham could be won and lost.

Liverpool’s full-backs

The importance of the Liverpool full-backs cannot be overestimated. They are the major suppliers of opportunities for the forwards who, otherwise, create chances for themselves and each other. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson are both having extraordinary seasons. Jurgen Klopp persists with a 4-3-3, and he can get Alexander-Arnold and Robertson forward without playing them as wing-backs, because he has central midfielders, such as Jordan Henderson and James Milner against Barcelona, who are under orders to fill in.

Liverpool score a lot of goals through wide play. The irony for Tottenham is that not so long ago their marauding full-backs, who were then Kyle Walker and Danny Rose, were the envy of the rest of the Premier League. If Alexander-Arnold and Robertson dominate, then so will Liverpool.

Moving ball in midfield

Liverpool will be clear favourites to win in Madrid and not least because they have beaten Tottenham twice in the Premier League this season. Both were by the same score, 2-1, but the two games were very different. Spurs were outplayed at Wembley in September and Erik Lamela only scored for them in injury time. Liverpool were too quick and mobile, especially for a midfield pair of Eric Dier and Mousa Dembele (who has since left).