Mark Lawrenson believes that Ibrahima Konate will start ahead of Joel Matip, alongside Virgil van Dijk, when Liverpool face Real Madrid in the Champions League final.
Matip has enjoyed an outstanding season in the heart of the Reds' defence, making 29 Premier League appearances and scoring twice. But summer signing Konate has been favoured in Champions League matches, racking up seven outings and was selected for the crucial knockout stage matches against Benfica and Villarreal. And it is for this reason that ex-Liverpool centre-back Lawrenson believes the young French defender will get the nod.
Speaking to Off The Ball, he said: “Well, you see I’m Matip, but it looks like Konate. Konate starts in the cup games and he seems to play in Europe, and he’s gotten better and better and better. My thing with Matip is that he gives you a bit extra, he gives you everything Konate gives you, but he’ll come out with the ball and engage midfield players, certainly Madrid’s midfield players, that’s the thing, but there’s not a big difference between the two of them."
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Having made 26 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool in his debut season, Konate still hasn't lost a single match for the Reds. The 22-year-old has also weighed in with three goals himself, quickly establishing himself as a new fans' favourite.
Liverpool's duel with Real Madrid in Paris on May 28, is a re-run of 2018 final when the La Liga side overcame the Merseysider's 3-1 in Kiev, but Kopites will be hoping for a better result this time round as the Reds' remarkable season rolls on to the very end.
