Liverpool's players were spotted training with brain sensors on their heads as they prepared to take on Real Madrid in the Champions League final.
The Reds will take on the Spanish champions for the second time in five finals, having been beaten by Los Blancos in 2018. Jurgen Klopp's men overcame Villarreal in the semi-finals to book their place in Paris, while Carlo Ancelotti's side left it late to stun Manchester City in the last four.
If they want to go one better than in 2018 - or, indeed, 2021, when they lost to Real Madrid in the quarter-finals - Klopp's players will need to be at their best. And the Reds are looking for every edge they can find.
Back in 2021, The Athletic reported on the innovation from German company neuro11, with co-founder Dr Niklas Hausler speaking about "the next frontier in athletic performance". The technology deployed by the Liverpool squad is designed to train the brain, and is just another way in which the 2020 Premier League champions are seeking an edge in the final.
"When you are able to perform at your best, you let your motor output run automatically. You don’t have to think about it, it’s just happening," Dr Hausler said. Their technology aims to train the mental side of the game as an add-on to tactical preparations, in order to get even better results.
"What we do with a player is we decipher with them and figure out what parts of this process help him or her to get into that brain state," he added. "They might think there’s a best way to do it but our data then shows that in fact that’s something you shouldn’t really focus on and instead you should put your emphasis on something you under-estimated before."
Who will win the Champions League final? Have your say in the comments section
Liverpool have already won two trophies this season by the narrowest of margins. They beat Chelsea on penalties after a goalless Carabao Cup final before doing the same to the London side in the FA Cup showpiece in May.
However, after being pipped to the title by Manchester City, they will know how tiny margins can make big differences. Whether they'll be able to do enough against Real Madrid remains to be seen, but they are preparing as best they feel they can.
Fabinho and Joe Gomez were both spotted in training as Klopp hopes to have as close to a full-strength team as possible against Liverpool's Spanish opponents. However, Thiago Alcantara, who limped out of the Premier League finale against Wolves, remains a doubt to feature in Paris.
"We will see," Klopp said when asked about Thiago's injury on Sunday. "Give us a chance. It makes the news not better or worse. We want to wait until we know more about it and then you will get the information as well."
