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Despite appearing in two Champions League finals already throughout his managerial career, this year’s final in Madrid against Tottenham is uncharted territory for Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.

You may be puzzled here. How can a man who has overseen title challenges, domestic cup successes, and as many as three European finals be in uncharted grounds when he patrols the touchline inside the Wanda Metropolitano this Saturday?

Here’s the thing.

Has Alisson been Liverpool’s most important signing of the season? Check out the video below to find out why Jurgen Klopp thinks so…

In every European final that Klopp has been involved in, his side has been labelled with the underdog tag.

In 2016 against Sevilla, the German came up against a man who absolutely excels at winning the Europa League in Unai Emery; the Spaniard had won the previous two editions of the competitions before facing the Reds in Switzerland.

Despite going a goal down to Daniel Sturridge’s strike, Emery’s know-how shone through and he became the first manager to win the competition three times in a row.

A few years before that when Klopp was in charge of Borussia Dortmund, he took his side to Wembley where they faced Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.

Jupp Heynckes’ Bavarians had already secured a domestic double and were gunning for a historic treble, and they did just that thanks to Arjen Robben’s late, late pea-roller of a strike; again, Klopp’s side were quite unanimously considered as underdogs.

As recently as last year, the former Mainz boss led his side to another Champions League final where Real Madrid stood in his way of guiding Liverpool to a sixth European title.

Given the fact that Zinedine Zidane’s men had won the last two titles, you would be factually correct in saying that, once again, Klopp’s side certainly were not the favourites to win the game.

This time around, however, it’s different. The tables have well and truly turned.

Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham will be making their first ever appearance in a Champions League final, and their first showing in a European final completely since 1984; make no mistake about it, in comparison to Liverpool’s rich history in Europe, Spurs are relative minnows.

Whilst it didn’t work out in this way for Klopp, the underdog tag could hand the north Londoners a major advantage. Tottenham have arguably been labelled with that same tag throughout their entire Champions League campaign so far this term – not to mention the last few Premier League title races.

They only just qualified for the knockout stages after failing to pick up a win in their first three group stage games, needing PSV to get a result against Inter and to grab at least a point against Barcelona themselves to go through – Lucas Moura’s 85th-minute strike inside the Camp Nou got them through by the skin of their teeth.

The last 16 fixtures against Borussia Dortmund were fairly comfortable in all honesty, but the quarter-finals and the semi-finals proved that Tottenham are enjoying their reputation in Europe as underdogs.

They were but an inch away from being knocked out by Manchester City in the quarter-finals only for VAR to disallow Raheem Sterling’s last-gasp strike, after Sergio Aguero was adjudged to be fractionally offside.

Having overcome that scare, their luck looked to have run out completely as they found themselves 3-0 down to Ajax with just 45 minutes of the semi-finals left to play.

As we all already know, Lucas Moura’s quite unbelievable hat-trick – his last strike coming in the 96-minute – put Pochettino’s men into the final on away goals.

If this isn’t evidence enough to prove that Spurs are fairly comfortable with not being the favourites, then I don’t what is.

Klopp must adapt to being the favourite in a European final for the first time in his career as a football manager, against an extremely dangerous side who can put Liverpool to the sword if they struggle to assert themselves.

Watching how the popular German adapts to this unprecedented experience will be one of the most intriguing narratives this year’s final has to offer. Can they embrace it without getting overconfident or buckling under the expectation? That’s what we’ll find out on Saturday.

ألمح ناصر صلاح، شقيق نجم منتخب مصر، محمد صلاح، والمُحترف في صفوف ليفربول، إلى شفاء شقيقه من الإصابة بـ فيروس كورونا المُستجد “كوفيد – 19”.

صلاح كان أصيب بـ كورونا، الجمعة قبل الماضية، خلال تواجده في معسكر الفراعنة استعدادًا لخوض منافسات تصفيات بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا.

ولم يتمكن صلاح من التواجد في مباراتي مصر أمام توجو، كما سيغيب أيضًا في مباراة مساء الليلة ضد ليستر سيتي في الجولة التاسعة من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ومن خلال حسابه الرسمي على موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “إنستجرام”، كتب ناصر خلال صورة تجمعه مع محمد: “الحمد الله”.

ويبدو أنّ هذا تلميح من جانب ناصر، لشفاء صلاح من الفيروس القاتل، حيث أكد كذلك يورجن كلوب، مدرب ليفربول، أنّ هداف الريدز بحالة جيدة ولا يُعاني من أي أعراض (طالع ماذا قال؟).

يُذكر أنّ صلاح، سافر من الجونة إلى لندن، مساء أول أمس، الجمعة، إلى لندن، من أجل قضاء الحجر الصحي في المملكة المُتحدة.

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Southampton have a fantastic opportunity to conclude their season in style with a visit from bottom-placed Huddersfield on Sunday, although, as Manchester United found out when they were hosted by the Terriers last week, there are never any easy games.

The Saints were brought back down to earth after a solid run of results as they were thumped 3-0 by West Ham last time out – one of their heaviest defeats of 2019 – but they will be counting on getting three points in front of a home crowd this weekend.

With survival already secured, the game means little to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side and most at St Mary’s Stadium will likely be looking ahead to the transfer window, which will give the Austrian boss a chance to revamp his squad ahead of his first full season at the helm.

BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson is clearly intrigued as to how the former RB Leipzig boss is going to tweak his side, as he offered his predictions ahead of the final round of Premier League fixtures:

“Huddersfield are another team saying goodbye to the top flight, and although the Terriers got a good result against Manchester United last weekend, I don’t see then signing off on a high note.

“Southampton can look forward to next season under manager Ralph Hasenhuttl with lots of optimism, and it will be interesting to see who he signs in the summer.”

In this era of ‘big 6’ dominance, has finishing 7th become as good as winning a trophy? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…

The former Liverpool midfielder forecasts a 2-0 win for Saints this weekend and an ‘interesting’ summer transfer window. With the likes of Mohamed Elyounoussi, Shane Long and Charlie Austin – none of whose future’s are certain – on the books, Southampton fans could see a number of familiar faces leave in the coming months and a number of unfamiliar ones through the door.

With the Austrian having already instilled a brilliant team spirit at St Mary’s, Hasenhuttl’s first few additions as Southampton boss could take the team to the next level. If he gets the right players through the door, this season’s relegation battle will be soon forgotten.

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West Ham United are interested in signing Edin Dzeko from AS Roma this summer and have agreed personal terms with the former Manchester City striker, per Il Tempo.

The Bosnia & Herzegovina international has reportedly been offered a two-year contract by the Hammers.

What’s the word?

The Hammers are seemingly looking to replenish their squad this summer and Dzeko is reportedly wanted by the club.

While the Irons have agreed terms with Dzeko, they have yet to seal a deal with the Italian club.

Il Tempo report that Roma are keen to recoup €20million (£17.2m) for a player who has spent four years in Serie A.

Dzeko joined Roma on loan in 2015 and the deal was made permanent a year later.

Across 171 appearances for the club, he has scored a total of 85 goals, while laying on 36 assists.

He has won 101 caps for Bosnia and Herzegovina, scoring 55 times.

A perfect Arnautovic replacement

Marko Arnautovic looks likely to depart the club in the summer. He signed a new contract in January but it contains a clause that allows him to leave if a bid of £45m is tabled by an interested party.

Of course, he flirted with a move to China in January and there is every chance that there could be a rekindling of that interest at the end of the season.

Dzeko is a player who would step into his shoes straight away.

He has Premier League experience, having won the title twice with City, and is a player adept at spearheading a forward line.

Manager Manuel Pellegrini has repeatedly experimented with a 4-1-4-1 formation and Dzeko is perhaps more suited to that system than Arnautovic.

The Bosnian is a strong forward presence, an excellent header of the ball and exhibits superb hold-up play.

Having agreed a deal with the striker, it’s time for West Ham to meet Roma’s valuation.

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According to TEAMtalk, Manchester City are interested in rivalling Manchester United and other European giants to the signing of Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld, who has a release clause of just £25m.

What’s the word, then?

Well the aforementioned report reveals that the Cityzens are considering a swoop for the Belgian international, with Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona also keeping tabs on the situation.

The reigning Premier League champions are keen to find a long-term partner for the outstanding Aymeric Laporte, as all three of John Stones, Vincent Kompany and Nicolas Otamendi have failed to show enough to prove they can fulfil the role.

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Club captain Kompany can only play a certain amount of games due to his waning fitness levels, and with Stones and Otamendi both inconsistent in their form, there is space for another defender.

Where does this leave Stones?

A player who has been heralded by Guardiola in the past and is clearly highly-rated by the Spaniard, Stones has found game time hard to come by of late and has started just 20 of the Citizens’ 34 league games this season.

According to The Mirror, the England international is frustrated at his lack of playing time, despite reports that he is set to be offered a contract extension.

The same article reveals that Guardiola believes Stones will eventually forge a partnership with Laporte at centre-back, but if Alderweireld is brought in and played ahead of him – which seems likely or else the decision to sign him would be a strange one – the former Barnsley defender may become even more frustrated.

Would he want to wait until the 30-year-old is done and dusted after already having to bide his time for a consistent spot in the first team?

It is unlikely that signing the former Ajax man would force Stones out of the exit door completely, but given the fact that he is already reportedly frustrated, Alderweireld’s arrival could seriously damage his morale.

It’s time for Leeds to start preparing for the Premier League! We know, they’ve still got a long way to go, but they do need to be identifying targets for if they do go up. Bruno Viana is a name that should be top of that list.

The Braga centre-back is running under the radar as Portuguese talent often does, but don’t be fooled, he’s the perfect partner for Pontus Jansson if the Whites are in the Premier League next season. TalkSPORT have said Leeds bosses are already interested.

He’s played 27 times in the league for the 4th-placed side, missing just one game all season. The ever-present 24-year-old has the ability to command the defence but more importantly to Marcelo Bielsa, stay calm in possession and help build-up attacks.

Liam Cooper might not have the ability to make that step up to the country’s top division, so they shouldn’t take the risk and hope he’s good enough. To re-establish themselves as a Premier League club they must have a defence capable of playing against far superior teams when they have possession.

They’ve been caught out at the back too many times this campaign, but it’s easy to understand why. Their possession means they’re higher up the pitch and have to defend in big spaces. Bruno Viana would be able to cope with this at the highest level, at least better than Cooper would.

The Brazilian is rated at £4.5m on Transfermarkt, and if Leeds are promoted, they should look to invest in Viana before looking at attacking talent. A strong defence is more likely to keep them up than a strong attack… if they do go up, that is.

Leeds fans, which position do you think is the priority in this summer’s transfer window? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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Masses of Tottenham Hotspur fans are furious on Twitter after the latest batch of reported summer transfer targets emerged.

Per The Daily Mail, Daniel Levy and Mauricio Pochettino have identified Valencia’s Carlos Soler, Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha, Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic and Jack Grealish and Jarrod Bowen of Aston Villa and Hull City respectively, as players they want to see at the New White Hart Lane next season.

The rumour left supporters seething and it’s no surprise either, given that only one of these targets currently plies their trade in the top half of one of the top five European leagues.

That man is Soler with his Valencia side sitting seventh La Liga. Even still, some Lilywhites fans clearly don’t believe he is remotely good enough despite being arguably the pick of the list.

Comments such as “we’re looking at 2nd tier players again” are not digs at the quality of the targets, but literal facts on this occasion as Grealish and Bowen both play in the Sky Bet Championship, neither in the top seven either.

It doesn’t seem like the North London club are being nearly as ambitious as they should given their current position and this has also led a fan to accuse the board of “going backwards,” while others can only sum up their thoughts with disbelief-driven sarcasm, commenting “ambition written all over that” and “wow, some exciting names there.”

Check out some of Spurs supporters’ best Twitter reactions, below…

ذكرت تقارير صحفية ألمانية، أن نادي بايرن ميونخ حسم موقفه من بيع دافيد ألابا، خلال سوق الانتقالات الصيفية الحالية.

وأشارت صحيفة “التايمز” الإنجليزية إلى أن ألابا يعد هدفًا لنادي مانشستر سيتي، في الميركاتو الحالي (طالع التفاصيل).

وقالت صحيفة “سبورت بيلد”: “القرار اتُخذ بالفعل، بايرن ميونخ لن يسمح لدافيد ألابا بأن يرحل هذا الصيف”.

وأضافت الصحيفة: “ذلك بغض النظر عن النادي الذي يرغب في ضم ألابا ومدى ارتفاع قيمة العرض المُقدم للحصول على الدولي النمساوي”.

وأتمت: “بايرن لن يبيع ألابا، لأنه لاعب أساسي في خطة هانزي فليك، المدير الفني للفريق البافاري، وغير قابل للاستغناء”.

ألابا، البالغ من العمر 28 عامًا، ولم يتوصل إلى اتفاق بعد مع بايرن ميونخ لتجديد عقده الذي ينتهي في صيف 2021.

أكد الفرنسي باتريس كارتيرون المدير الفني لنادي التعاون السعودي أنه تولى قيادة الفريق لمساعدته على العبور في مواجهات دوري أبطال آسيا.

ومن المقرر أن يلعب التعاون ضد برسبوليس الإيراني اليوم ضمن منافسات الجولة الرابعة لدور المجموعات ببطولة آسيا.

وكان كارتيرون قد رحل عن تدريب الزمالك بعد فسخ عقده ودفع قيمة الشرط الجزائي وانتقل لتدريب التعاون.

وقال باتريس كاريترون خلال مقابلة أجراها عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت إتش دي 7”: “انطباعي الأول أن اللاعبين والفريق يحتاج إلى المساعدة، المباراة الاخيرة كانت لديهم صعبة أنا هنا لمساعدتهم”.

واختتم: “أتمني أن يشعر اللاعبون أني معهم بنسية مية في المية، أنا هنا لتقديم كل شيء من أجل التعاون”.

وكان التعاون قد خسر من برسبوليس في الجولة السابقة بهدفٍ دون رد. تصريحات كارتيرون قبل مباراة التعاون وبرسبوليس

What ever happened to Luis Alberto after he left Liverpool for a fee of just £4.3m in August 2016?

The Spanish playmaker arrived at Anfield with plenty of promise for the future, but his career in England didn’t go according to plan.

Almost four years on from his departure, and with the current hiatus of Premier League football in mind, it’s an appropriate time to reflect on how his career has progressed in recent years.

It’s certainly been eventful, and his progress might just leave Jurgen Klopp with more than just a tinge of regret over the decision.

Time at Liverpool

Following his £6.8m move from Sevilla in 2013, Brendan Rodgers offered a promising verdict on Alberto’s future at the club, per BBC Sport.

“He has the correct footballing profile and mentality to be a Liverpool player.

“I look forward to working with him to develop his talent.”

Whatever Rodgers envisaged failed to come to fruition. The youngster started just two games under the Northern Irishman’s tutelage and made a further ten appearances in domestic competitions.

His only highlight worth noting arrived in the shape of an 11 minute cameo at White Hart Lane back in 2013 as Liverpool smashed Spurs 5-0 on their own turf. Alberto assisted Luis Suarez for the visitors’ fourth goal of the game and that turned out to be his solitary goal contribution in the famous red shirt.

Serie A outfit Lazio eventually came calling for his signature in August 2016, offering him a route out of Merseyside and a new environment in which to harness his potential.

Liverpool cut their losses and duly accepted the £4.3m offer.

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 Where is he now?

Alberto certainly didn’t settle overnight in Italy but he’s slowly established himself as a vital player at his new club.

He played just 361 minutes of Serie A football during his debut season, scoring once and assisting twice in the process to lay the foundations for what proved to be a breakthrough second season.

In the 2017/18 campaign, goal contributions arrived at scale: eleven goals and 13 assists from 34 league games underlined his ability to be a deadly playmaker in one of Europe’s elite divisions.

And in the current campaign he has already racked up 13 assists from 25 league appearances.

According to Italian media outlet Il Messaggero (via Sport Witness), Lazio are hoping to include a release clause of €100m (£91.1m) in his new contract, with Liverpool’s 30% sell on clause forcing the issue somewhat.

Meanwhile, Alberto’s Transfermarkt valuation soared to £49.5m on March 3rd, which places him in the top 10 most highly rated attacking midfielders in world football.

The only solace for Liverpool is that they will receive 30% of any fee Lazio receive for his services, but otherwise his progress suggests the club may have been too hasty with their decision to sell him in 2016.