Zinedine Zidane admits Liverpool can cause Real Madrid ‘problems’

Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane says he is well aware that Liverpool can hurt his side in Saturday’s final.

Real will be looking for an unprecedented third straight Champions League victory, since the tournament changed its name, but Zidane knows it will not be plain sailing despite his side haveing the upper hand with experience.

“They (Liverpool) have had a great season, in the Champions League and in the (Premier) League. They can cause us problems, we know that.

“We are not going to be surprised. Nor them with us. We know each other very well,” said Zidane.

Asked whether Klopp’s Liverpool were a similar team to his own, the Frenchman said: “I don’t know if we are the same. I don’t think we play in the same way as a team.

“What I fear about this team (Liverpool)? All the talk is about the three up front (Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane) or that they are weaker at the back… No, they deserve to be in the final just like us, they are a close group.

“Our job, with the backroom staff, is to prepare well for the match, find the opponent’s weaknesses and try to hurt them.”

Liverpool finished fourth in the Premier League this season, scoring 84 goals, while Real came third in La Liga, netting 94 times.

Zidane was asked if the season would be a failure if Real lost on Saturday.

And the 45-year-old, whose entire squad trained on Tuesday, said in quotes on realmadrid.com: “It will not be a waste.

“The big failure for me, as I said before, was in the Copa del Rey because we lost at home and were knocked out (against Leganes in the quarter-finals). That was a cruel blow for us. But that’s it.

“Real Madrid always look to win, but you can’t always count on it. The important thing for us is show our drive and ensure we don’t slip up. You need setbacks in life if you want to improve.”

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