The Champions League final is nearly upon us and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is hours away from naming his starting XI.
Klopp has plenty to think about for the match against Real Madrid, with both fitness problems and tactical dilemmas no doubt playing on his mind in the build-up. Liverpool have already won two trophies this season and a third is one match away, provided Klopp makes the right decisions.
Liverpool have a deep squad packed full of quality and they have needed everyone to pull their weight to get them to this stage. The final will be Liverpool’s 63rd game of a gruelling season, but all the players on the bench will still be unhappy to be left out of the club’s biggest match of the season at the Stade de France.
Klopp has been here before and made the right calls, so he can call upon his experience as well as his intuition. If fully fit, much of his XI picks itself, but there remains three major selection headaches for the Reds manager. Here Mirror Football takes a look at them.
Matip or Konate?
The first – and arguably most important – of the decisions comes in defence, where Klopp has to choose between Ibrahima Konate and Joel Matip to play alongside Virgil van Dijk. Both have played well this season and performed the role admirably, but only one can get the nod for the Champions League final.
Former Reds defender Jamie Carragher summed up the conundrum well on the Blood Red Podcast earlier this week. “I felt Konate would play because of his extra pace to help Trent [Alexander-Arnold] on that side with Vinicius,” Carragher said. “But Joel Matip doesn’t make mistakes really, you also have to take into account Konate playing on that left side, it’s never as comfortable as easy.
“I think that has made it a 50/50 decision now. I was convinced that Konate would play, now I’m not so sure. I think he might look at his record and see that he’s never lost whenever he’s played, and he made a mistake in the last game, but that pace, physicality and set-pieces. Imagine him and van Dijk going up for set-pieces every time? I think it’s a 50/50 one, but I think he may just plump for Matip in the end just because he’s a steady and calm influence.”
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Carragher changed his mind within a few minutes of talking, so that shows the difficulty of Klopp’s task. Matip is the more experienced and used to the big occasions. The 30-year-old is unflappable, strong in the air and underrated on the ball.
Konate has grown into the season as it has worn on and, as Carragher alluded to, is yet to be on the losing side in 28 appearances for the club. He’s also excellent in the air – and a threat at set pieces, as shown by his goals in both legs vs Benfica – and, crucially, has the speed to cover dangerman Vinicius Junior.
Neither player would let him down, but it remains a big call to make for Klopp.
Should he start Salah?
Mohamed Salah was only fit enough for the bench in Liverpool’s last game against Wolves due to a groin complaint. The Egyptian climbed off the bench to score what could have been a vital goal to help secure victory on the final day of the Premier League season and has since returned to full training. But should he get the nod on Saturday night?
There would normally be no debate to be had here. Salah is Liverpool’s talisman and has just scooped the Golden Boot and Creator awards following the conclusion of the Premier League season. He’s also desperate to get “revenge” on Real Madrid for what happened in the 2018 final defeat and has scored 33 goals in the Champions League under Klopp.
That is a pretty compelling case in favour of starting him in his usual spot on the right of the front three. However, there is another one against his selection. He has not been nearly as productive since the Africa Cup of Nations and his goal against Wolves was just the fourth time he has found the net in 19 games since the Carabao Cup final. If he plays, the final will be his 60th game for club and country this season. That is a huge workload and Klopp also has a wealth of other options in Sadio Mane – who is nailed on to start – Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz and Roberto Firmino.
You would suggest it’s a straight shoot-out between Salah, Mane, Jota and Diaz for three spots. With Mane showing his ability through the middle recently, Jota seems the most likely to miss out.
Best midfield balance?
Midfield is where the majority of the doubt lies for Liverpool. Fabinho hasn't played since suffering a hamstring injury against Aston Villa earlier this month, while Thiago limped out of the game against Wolves. Both were back in training with Liverpool on Wednesday, but it will still take an element of risk to pick either to start from the off against Real.
Klopp could call upon Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain or Naby Keita in midfield, but a game of this importance calls for experience and balance. Most Liverpool fans would probably plump for Fabinho, Thiago and Henderson as their first-choice trio, but is picking two players who are returning from injury a gamble too far?
Keita offers drive and forward-thinking passing from midfield, while Milner has put in several battling displays recently and would not be over-awed by the occasion. Henderson can play as the holding midfielder, but he is generally better when given further licence to roam and link up with Alexander-Arnold in wide right positions.
The Real midfield is packed full of experience, with Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Casemiro the likely three starters, although Fede Valverde’s flexibility means he could play centrally too. Should Klopp go for his own most experienced trio, or opt for a blend with youth to try and out-run or out-last Ancelotti’s players?
Ultimately, the midfield balance is likely to be decided by fitness and availability over tactics. If Fabinho and Thiago have shown their readiness on the training pitch this week then expect both to start in Paris.
