Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp can’t afford to lose Champions League final tactical battle against Tottenham
- Jurgen Klopp has spent a lot of time in the past weeks thinking through what happened in the second half at Anfield when they were overrun by Spurs
- Mauricio Pochettino is quicker to adapt to tactical changes – Tottenham will have a chance if they can survive early blitz
Every Premier League game this year felt like a final for Liverpool. Their pursuit of Manchester City piled the pressure higher with every match. On Saturday, in Madrid, they face the real thing when they play Tottenham Hotspur in the Metropolitano Wanda for the Champions League trophy. More than ever they cannot afford to lose.
Jurgen Klopp has built real confidence at Anfield. The Liverpool players have a strong belief that this is their time. Yet Spurs are one of the few teams that Klopp would rather avoid. They are awkward customers.
The tactical battle between the German and Mauricio Pochettino will be one of the keys to the game. When the sides last met in the Premier League in March, the Liverpool manager had a clear plan. Pochettino likes to be flexible in defence and in his time at White Hart Lane has often switched between a back three and a flat four, but at Anfield injuries forced him into playing with three centre backs. This played into Klopp’s hands.
Liverpool’s strategy, honed at Melwood, was to get Roberto Firmino to drift across the face of the three central defenders in the belief that there would be space between them.
Like Klopp, Pochettino loves to push his full backs forward but the German came to the conclusion that it left too many acres for the centre backs to cover. That was real estate Liverpool – and Firmino in particular – could exploit. The feeling inside Anfield was that Moussa Sissoko was not mobile enough to protect the men behind him.
The idea worked superbly. The Brazilian slipped behind Davinson Sanchez, the pivot in the back three, and dispatched a cross from Andy Robertson to give the home side the lead. Klopp’s men were dominant throughout the first half.
Because Liverpool appear to play fast and loose, not enough credit is given to Klopp’s preparation on the training ground. Robertson has spoken about how long and hard he had to work to fit in with the manager’s plans.
The German is extremely specific about what he wants from his players. One of the reasons that Naby Keita and Fabinho have taken so long to find their feet is they have not been able to completely gain Klopp’s trust. Xherdan Shaqiri did not carry out instructions and that led to him playing only bit parts in the second half of the season.
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Things will be very different in the Wanda. Pochettino, with an almost full-strength squad, will undoubtedly go with four at the back and in the midfield. Harry Winks is likely to be fit and the Englishman has the engine and the awareness to make sure the defence get plenty of cover.
Klopp will line up with his usual three in midfield but needs to find a way of stopping them being overrun. When Tottenham got on top in this area at Anfield they were able to pin back Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold. That exposed the lack of creativity from Liverpool’s midfielders.
Pochettino saw what was happening and changed tack in the second half. The Tottenham manager switched to a flat back four, pulled Dele Alli deeper in a midfield quartet and overran Liverpool in the centre of the park. Lucas Moura levelled the scores and Spurs looked likelier to win before the home team nicked it with a Toby Alderweireld own goal.
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The front three – Sadio Mane, Mo Salah and Firmino – catch the eye but it is the full backs who make Klopp’s system work. It is not just their crossing. They supplement the midfield and stretch the pitch.
Both are masters of generating a quick break. Tottenham’s biggest challenge will be squeezing the pair deep in their own half and making them less adventurous.
Klopp has spent a lot of time in the past weeks thinking through what happened in the second half at Anfield. In Madrid, he will have a different scheme to counter Spurs’ strengths.
One of the few criticisms that has been aimed at the 51-year-old is that he is slow to adapt to tactical changes during a game. That could never be said of Pochettino.
This will be a huge test of both managers. Liverpool will probably come out flying, like at Anfield, and put Tottenham on the back foot. Klopp is very good at blitzing the opposition early. But if the London club can hang in until the Argentinian gets the opportunity to adapt, Spurs will have a chance.
Those faux finals of the past few months ultimately meant nothing for Liverpool. Now they must make the real one count. Klopp needs to get it right in both halves.
