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What Roberto Firmino did to thrill Liverpool fans before Champions League final


If there was supposed to be a problem with Roberto Firmino ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League final showdown with Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid on Saturday, then it didn’t show on Friday.

While Spurs are facing concerns over the fitness of their own central forward in Harry Kane – who won’t start the game if Glenn Hoddle’s ‘gut feeling’ is correct – it looks to be the opposite for Liverpool’s Brazilian star.

Firmino’s manager Jurgen Klopp wouldn’t confirm anything at his press conference on Friday, but the chances of Firmino starting a match for the first time since the 2-0 win at Cardiff on April 21 look pretty high.

Firmino looked sharp in training

“Yes, he is ready,” said Klopp.

“Whether he will start? I thought I’d keep a few question marks open. He’s fit, he’s here. Unless anything happens in the training session later he should be fine.”

And what did happen in the training session would have delighted Klopp.

The forward impressed in shooting drills

Firmino looked fit and sharp throughout Liverpool’s open training session at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium, and a video from the Press Association shows him at one point producing three stylish finishes in quick succession, including one with a backheel.

The burst was noted by the Liverpool Echo reporter James Pearce, whose tweet was gratefully received by Reds fans.

Firmino is sure to be a crucial presence in the Reds attack alongside Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, with Klopp no doubt hoping that the trio can stay together for long than last season’s final when Salah went off injured.

Speaking on how he thinks his side has improved since then, Klopp said: “We are] much more mature. It’s a different side.

Klopp says his side have improved hugely

“The good thing with getting older, from all points of view actually, is we are a year older.

“We have players like Trent who has around 50 games more in his legs, more experience in football and was in different situations more often.

“We were in the situation last year and the boys performed in that final, it was not that we had no chance in that final against a clear favourite.

“That was OK, that helped us as well. Last year we were surprised by ourselves a little bit that we were in the final.”

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