Tottenham will benefit from break before Champions League final, says Danny Murphy
Former Spurs and Liverpool midfielder says Reds will benefit from 2018 final defeat to Real Madrid
Friday 31 May 2019 11:36, UK
The long break between the end of the Premier League season and the Champions League final benefits Tottenham, says Danny Murphy.
Both sides played their final league match on May 12 and will not have played a competitive game before kicking off in Madrid for the final on Saturday - a gap of nearly three weeks.
Murphy, who played for both Liverpool and Tottenham, thinks this will aid Spurs, telling Sky Sports News: "Liverpool are favourites still but I think the gap between the end of the season and the game is a long time.
"I think that suits Tottenham; it's given them chance to work on their tactical approach and get players like (Harry) Kane fit.
"Liverpool finished the season so strongly; momentum was good, confidence was high, they were winning games, scoring goals. How did they cope with the break? How did they train, how did they keep the intensity up?
"I still think Liverpool are favourites after the season they've had and the way they've played, but it's a one-off final."
Liverpool are playing in their second successive Champions League final, with the tie against Spurs coming a year after their 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in Kiev.
Murphy believes some of Liverpool's players may not have been prepared for the gravity of the occasion 12 months ago, but says the experience will stand them in good stead this time around.
He said: "The disappointment is going to be an incentive, to put that to bed and erase that memory.
"When you play in a big final, particularly for a big club like Liverpool, if it's your first one, you probably don't understand the enormity of it when you see the 50, 60, 70,000 Liverpool fans in the city, and the expectancy that comes with that.
"Last year it didn't work out, whereas now they're coming back a year later and they've been through that preparation. That should give them experience.
"I think any player would tell you, the more finals you play in, the easier it gets. Even though some of the Tottenham players are experienced internationals, they haven't played in Champions League finals. I think that will work in Liverpool's favour."
Follow the Champions League final on Sky Sports
You can follow all of the action of Tottenham vs Liverpool from the Wanda Metropolitano on the Sky Sports App and skysports.com with our dedicated Champions League final live blog, which will feature the best build-up, commentary and reaction from Madrid.
The Champions League final will take place on Saturday, June 1; Kick-off is at 8pm.
