Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has been accused of "lying" after he claimed he didn't mind who he played in the Champions League final.
The Reds overcame a spirited fightback from Villarreal to make a third European Cup final in five years. The Spaniards had levelled the tie thanks to two first-half goals before the Premier League outfit scored three times to win 3-2 on the night and 5-2 on aggregate.
They are the first team to progress into the final in Paris later this month. Either Real Madrid or Manchester City will join them at the Stade de France. City hold a 4-3 first-leg lead ahead of the return game in the Spanish capital on Wednesday night. Pep Guardiola's side have been involved with several domestic battles with the Reds in recent years.
They are seen as favourites to progress into the final, but Klopp maintains he has no preference on who he wants to face in the French capital. He said: "It’s not like I would wish for one or the other, it will be massive. And whoever wins tomorrow night or gets the result will deserve it and then we will face each other in Paris." Carragher though wasn't having any of it, stating: "I think he’s lying. I am pretty certain he’d prefer Real Madrid."
Madrid saw off the Reds in the 2018 final in Ukraine. Gareth Bale scored a brace, one of which came after a Loris Karius howler whilst Mo Salah was forced off following a clash with Sergio Ramos in what was an action-packed final. Los Blancos have claimed the Spanish title already this season and Salah admits he wants a chance at revenge.
He told BT Sport on his preference: "Well yeah, I want to play Madrid. I have to be honest. City is a really tough team, we’ve played against them a few times this season. But if you ask me personally, I would prefer Madrid." He then added: "Because we lost in the final against them, so I want to play against them – hopefully we will win it!"
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Klopp hailed his players for their efforts in Spain, again citing their willingness to dig deep. He said: “Outstanding, massive – it feels like the first one because it’s always so special. I love it, the sound of it … the whole night. It feels so special because it was so difficult for us.
"Before the game, I told the boys I wanted the headlines to be the mentality monsters were in town. I wanted it from the first moment but the second half was like that. How we came back in the second half was so special. It was a top performance."
