"Will win it quite well" - Joe Cole predicts comfortable win for one side in Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid
Former Liverpool attacker Joe Cole has tipped the Reds to beat Real Madrid 3-1 in the UEFA Champions League final.
Jurgen Klopp's side will take on Los Blancos in the Champions League final in Paris tonight. The two sides will lock horns at the Stade de France with the hope of getting their hands on the Ol' Big Ears.
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With just hours to go until kick-off, players, pundits and fans have been having their say on the outcome of the match. Cole is the latest to make his prediction for the Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid.
The Englishman admitted that he did not expect Carlo Ancelotti's side to get this far in the competition. He is of the view that they have done incredibly well to book a place in the final.
Cole told Coral:
"I backed against Real Madrid in every round. They've done incredible to get there. I thought there were so many gaps in the team. They've not settled on a centre-half pairing. Although a fantastic midfield, it is an ageing midfield. A bit lopsided in attack, it all goes down the left side."
However, the former Liverpool attacker still expects the Reds to get the better of Los Blancos tonight. He is backing the Anfield outfit to put three goals past Thibaut Courtois.
He said:
"I didn't expect to beat PSG, Man City or Chelsea, but they found a way. But, I'm still going to stick to my guns. I think Liverpool [will] win this game win it quite well. My prediction is a 3-1 win for Liverpool."
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Joe Cole has his say on what could settle this season's #UCL final 🏆 https://t.co/sTGm1PdUIa
Cole expects Klopp's side to comfortably win the game if Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are fully fit. He said:
"The only thing that's given me a little bit of doubt is obviously if they lose Thiago, which it looks like he's not going to play, and also Van Dijk and Salah, have they full recovered from their knocks? If they two are fully recovered, I expect Liverpool to win comfortably."
It remains to be seen if Cole's prediction will come true tonight.
Liverpool and Real Madrid eyeing Champions League glory
The Reds will be looking to win their seventh Champions League title tonight. Los Blancos, on the other hand, will be determined to lift the trophy for the 14th time in their history.
It is worth noting that tonight's match is a repeat of the 2018 Champions League final in Kyiv. The La Liga giants emerged victorious on that occasion, beating Klopp's side 3-1.
A goal from Karim Benzema and a brace from Gareth Bale earned Real Madrid the win that night. Reds goalkeeper Loris Karius also grabbed the headlines for the wrong reasons after his mistakes led to two goals.