Jurgen Klopp predicts 'massive' Champions League final regardless of Liverpool opposition
- Planet Sport writer
- 3 May 2022
Liverpool boss has no preference between Real Madrid and Man City for the final.
Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool will be in for a 'massive' game in the Champions League final regardless of who wins the second semi-final.
Liverpool booked their spot in the Paris final on Tuesday, recovering from a first-half blip to beat Villarreal 5-2 on agrregate.
They will now await the winner of the second semi-final between Real Madrid and Premier League rivals Manchester City, with the latter taking a slender advantage to the Bernabeu on Wednesday.
"Yes I will watch it, of course," Klopp said. "Whoever it will be, it will be massive.
"Not that I would wish for one or the other, but it will be massive and whoever wins tomorrow night or gets the result will deserve it and we will face each other in Paris."
Liverpool won the first leg of their semi-final 2-0 at Anfield, but Villarreal had wiped out that advantage by half time courtesy of goals from Boulaye Dia and former Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin.
However, Klopp shuffled his pack a little at half-time and eased through 3-2 on the night thanks to Fabinho, Luis Diaz and Sadio Mane.
"Respect to Villarreal, their team, stadium, coach," Klopp said. "Unbelievable what they set up and put us under pressure.
"Man-v-man over the whole pitch, we didn't play football at all. We didn't get momentum back in the first half. I told the boys, 'where's that momentum? they don't own it'.
"We had to start playing football. All of a sudden, when we broke the lines, finding the half-spaces and being more free and more flexible, not fixed on our positions, all of a sudden we were in the game, scored goals and made it happen."
