KEOWN TALKS TACTICS: Liverpool need to press Thibaut Courtois

Real Madrid can look like they’re floored, practically face down on the canvas and out for the count. But such is the spirit of Carlo Ancelotti’s fighters, they don’t stay down for long.

They come out swinging and have knocked out three heavyweight opponents that way. Real were behind to Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City but simply refused to leave a competition they have won a record 13 times.

There’s no denying a great deal of luck was involved. City would have been featuring in tonight’s final instead had the footballing gods not been shining on the Spaniards so gloriously in that semi-final second leg.

When that happens, as a player you can feel like it’s fate that you’re in this final and a 14th European Cup is on its way.

Yet Real don’t have a return trip to the Bernabeu to save themselves this time. It’s all on tonight’s final in Paris, and a one-game shootout suits Liverpool.

Jurgen Klopp’s side can look to control their opponents in a way that City simply didn’t. One way that Liverpool can look to inflict damage on Real and dominate possession is using their high press to force the ball into being played back to goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

He made some super saves against City but the goalkeeper is not as comfortable using his feet as others.

That’s a weakness which Liverpool — the best pressing team in Europe — can try to exploit at the Stade de France tonight.

Courtois will be under constant pressure from Sadio Mane. Even if the Belgian lumps it long before Mane reaches him, it will allow Liverpool to regain possession.

Real Madrid took offence at Mohamed Salah saying he wanted to play them instead of Manchester City, feeling that would have been a tougher test for Liverpool. Federico Valverde