LIVERPOOL ARE DESTINED to win the Champions League tonight, according to former star Mark Lawrenson.
The Reds are looking to claim their sixth European crown when they line up against Real Madrid in the final in Kiev on Saturday.
Jurgen Klopp’s team have been in impressive form throughout the competition, recording resounding wins over Manchester City and Roma in each of the last two rounds, but came close to losing their advantage against the Italian side in their semi-final second leg.
The showpiece in Ukraine, however, presents a different challenge as they take on twice-defending champions Madrid.
However, Lawrenson, who won the 1984 European Cup as well as five top-flight titles with Liverpool, is confident the script has been written in the Anfield team’s favour.
“I wouldn’t normally be a believer in fate, but I am as far as this [Liverpool] group is concerned,” Lawrenson told Goal. “If you look, I think the draw has been kind to them. People would argue, maybe with Manchester City not [that much], but even in the games.
“If you take the first game, Roma are away, Karius went to catch the ball and he missed it and it hit the crossbar. If Roma score, then the game is completely different. In the City game, at half-time, in the second leg the goal that was disallowed should have been a goal.
“So I just have this thing with them, I think they are just destined to win it. Obviously we know it is Madrid, but it is not the Madrid team of four of five years ago. I think it is slightly on the wane.”
With star forward Mohamed Salah leading the attack on a run of 10 goals in 12 appearances in the competition and backed by Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, Lawrenson says Liverpool’s firepower outranks even Madrid’s famous trio of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale.
“I think Liverpool’s front three are the best front three in any club side in the world,” Lawrenson added. “A lot of that is also to do with the fact that not many teams play with a front three, but they are most definitely the best, I don’t think there’s any argument about that whatsoever.
“When you look at Firmino, when his mate Philippe Coutinho got transferred to Barcelona, you were kind of thinking that he might have six months where he is not sure what he is going to do but he has actually been brilliant. He has gone on and played better. I think it is just one of those with Liverpool, if they score first in the final then I would really fancy them, but hey, I think it is a game that any team can win.”
Although Salah and Co are taking on the most successful team in the competition’s history, Lawrenson believes the Spanish side’s record in finals will have no impact on the result, as there is something divine about the English hopefuls.
“I think history means nothing. It is just a football game,” he added. “We know, we have all played in finals and it didn’t make any difference if you won it the year before. Or if someone else was playing and it was five years ago.
“I don’t get it because it is a game of football with tremendous pressure. I don’t think that makes any difference but listen, I think it is 50/50 on who wins it, but then there’s something about Liverpool. It is like the man upstairs has gone I will let them win it this time around. I don’t think since it became the Champions League, that a team has won it for three years running so Madrid can do that.”
He does agree that Zidane’s team may seem favourites to most, though, and feels the challengers will have to watch out for their “dark arts”.
“Yes, [Madrid favourites on paper]. It’s is just the fact that they have won it for the past two years. That’s not a history thing, it is just that they have won it and it is most of the same players. I also think Madrid are a little bit cleverer in so far as Liverpool, although they play a pressing game, they don’t stop teams playing by falling over and trying to get people booked.
“I think there’s a bit of dark arts about Madrid. That helps Madrid as well, I think.”
