Three years ago, four members of our regular Anfield match-going crew travelled to Madrid for the Tottenham Champions League final without tickets - but it will always be remembered as the trip of a lifetime.
We rocked up to the Wanda Metropolitano stadium on the morning of the game to take pictures and soak in the atmosphere. But, ultimately, we could get nowhere near the turnstiles due to the perimeter set up around the ground - the operation was slick. A far cry from the events at the Stade de France.
This time five of us travelled without tickets as we aimed to repeat our Madrid plan. But I was woken up by a phone call from one of my best friends who, due to a flight cancellation, had a spare ticket. A ticket for me. My first European final.
