Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool: Four key battles in the Champions League final including Harry Kane vs Virgil van Dijk

Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool: Four key battles in the Champions League final including Harry Kane vs Virgil van Dijk
Tottenham and Liverpool will do battle for the right to call themselves champions of Europe on Saturday – a match you can listen to LIVE on talkSPORT.Both teams made it to the Champions League final in dramatic circumstances with Liverpool beating Barcelona 4-3 on aggregate, while Spurs completed a stunning second-half turnaround at Ajax.Getty6

Liverpool completed the biggest comeback in the competition’s history when they beat Barcelona 4-0 at Anfield

Getty6

Tottenham scored three goals in the second-half of their second leg at Ajax

It’s the first time two Premier League sides will face each other in the final of Europe’s premier club competition since 2008 when Manchester United beat Chelsea on penalties in Moscow.But where will the 2019 final be won and lost?talkSPORT.com have identified FOUR key battles between Tottenham and Liverpool players ahead of Saturday’s game.

Christian Eriksen vs Fabinho

It may not be the glamour duel in the final but you could make a very strong case that Christian Eriksen’s battle against Fabinho is the most important one on the pitch.Spurs fans will say Eriksen hasn’t been at his best this season but he’s their most creative player and is capable of that magic pass or shot that could win what is expected to be a tight game. But Fabinho will be out to stifle him.Getty Images - Getty6

Fabinho was in brilliant form in the semi-finals, particularly in the Anfield game

The Brazilian was tasked with marking Lionel Messi in the semis and did a pretty good job even though the Barca superstar scored two goals in the first leg at the Camp Nou.However, Messi was a shadow of the great player he is at Anfield and a lot of that was thanks to Fabinho’s tireless efforts. If you can stop Messi, then you shouldn’t fear anyone.

Kieran Trippier vs Sadio Mane

By his own admission, Kieran Trippier has struggled to replicate the splendid form he showed in the 2017/18 season and the 2018 World Cup and his latest setback saw him miss out on a place in England’s final Nations League squad.The right-back has made a few noticeable mistakes this season including an embarrassing own goal in a Premier League defeat at Chelsea in March.Meanwhile, Liverpool forward Sadio Mane has been at the top of his game this season, winning the Golden Boot alongside team-mate Mohamed Salah and Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with 22 goals.Getty Images - Getty6

Mane and Trippier have had contrasting seasons

Spurs fans may worry about this duel and Mauricio Pochettino could even alter his line-up to make sure there aren’t too many one-on-ones between Trippier and Mane.

Heung-Min Son vs Trent Alexander-Arnold

But Liverpool may have to worry about the left hand side of their opponents too with Heung-Min Son likely to be up against Trent Alexander-Arnold.Alexander-Arnold is brilliant going forward and Spurs will have to keep an eye on his devastating crosses from the right. It was his quick thinking that saw him provide an enterprising assist for Divock Origi’s second-half strike which was the decisive goal in sending Liverpool through.However, the 20-year-old is not the finished article defensively and he can be got at by the South Korean who has had another great campaign at Spurs.Getty Images - Getty6

Son has scored crucial goals on Spurs’ route to the final

Son has scored 20 goals in all competitions this season and there were even calls for him to be nominated for the PFA Player of the Year award.

Harry Kane vs Virgil van Dijk

This is the big duel in the final as Harry Kane and Virgil van Dijk are of equally huge importance for their respective clubs.It looks as though Kane will be fit to start the final despite his ankle injury so he’ll probably do battle with PFA Player of the Year Van Dijk.Getty6

Van Dijk and Kane are likely to come up against each other when England face the Netherlands in the Nations League on June 6

Stats suggest the last player to successfully dribbled past centre-back Van Dijk in March 2018 but Kane is a constant threat.The England striker may latch himself on to Van Dijk’s centre-back partner, which is likely to be Joel Matip, in an attempt to get more joy but there will be occasions when Van Dijk deals with the Spurs forward so the phrase ‘clash of the titans’ will be appropriate in this case.

---

EXCLUSIVE: Van Dijk talks Jurgen Klopp, Harry Kane and THAT victory over Barcelona

---

---

Arsenal Invincible Sol Campbell tells talkSPORT: Unai Emery

---

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino plays down Hugo Lloris injury fears after goalkeeper misses Man City defeat Tottenham remain third in the Premier League but they are in with just four
Chelsea vs Tottenham: Mauricio Pochettino says Spurs may need

---

Emiliano Sala: Nantes FINED by French League for TRIBUTE to striker after he died NANTES have been fined over £18,000 for their tribute for Emiliano Sala.
Emiliano Sala: Nantes FINED by French League for TRIBUTE to

---

Everton plot £35m Wilson swoop. Everton are ready to splash the cash to bring Callum Wilson to Goodison Park from Bournemouth - but there's a catch. The Sun state the England international is a key target for Marco Silva's side but add that Idrissa Gueye could be sold to raise funds.

---

Spurs ban fans trying to sell Champions League final tickets Tottenham Hotspur have indefinitely banned three season ticket holders for trying to re-sell Champions League final tickets online, the
Tottenham ban season-ticket holders trying to sell Champions

---

Dec 09, 2017 · Pep Guardiola has admitted he might have ended up managing Manchester United had he realised Sir Alex Ferguson was trying to line him up as his Old Trafford successor over dinner in New York.
How Manchester United lost out on Pep Guardiola as - The Sun

---

Jordan Pickford still deserves to be England no.1 despite Everton mistakes, Ben Foster tells talkSPORT Pickford has made a number of errors leading to goals for the Toffees this season and is
Jordan Pickford still deserves to be England no.1 despite

---

Harry Kane injury news: Mauricio Pochettino hints Tottenham

---

Complete table of Championship standings for the 2019/2020 Season, plus access to tables from past seasons and other Football leagues.
Premier League Prize Money 2018 (Confirmed)

---

Wolves fan receives three-year ban for throwing pie at West Ham supporter The 44-year-old woman pleaded guilty to the crime in Walsall Magistrates' Court By Ben Henderson
Wolves fan slapped with three-year ban for throwing pie at

---

use the following search parameters to narrow your results: subreddit:subreddit find submissions in "subreddit" author:username find submissions by "username" site:example.com fin
Derek McInnes claims 'biggest influence' in Rangers defeat

---

Jordan Henderson, a 28-year-old lad from Sunderland who had been widely mocked and used as a scapegoat by the Kop since Kenny Dalglish signed him in 2011, has become the fifth Liverpool captain to
How Henderson's new role affects FPL picture at Liverpool

---