Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho believes this year's Champions League final is a curious one due to both teams arriving in extraordinary circumstances.
Liverpool secured their spot in the final after overturning a 3-0 first leg defeat to Barcelona in the semis. Jurgen Klopp's side produced an incredible second leg performance at Anfield to win 4-0 and send Ernesto Valverde's side packing.
The very next day Tottenham Hotspur accomplished a special Champions League result of their own. After losing the first leg at home to Ajax 1-0, and conceding two early on in the second tie in Amsterdam, Lucas Moura scored a hat-trick - with the Brazilian's third coming in the 96th minute - to send Spurs through to their first Champions League final.
Mourinho reckons that the team who holds an advantage in a final is usually the one who achieved something extraordinary to get there. But with Jurgen Klopp's and Mauricio Pochettino's sides both performing minor miracles in the semis the Portuguese is predicting a fiery encounter.
"I always say that the team that had something extraordinary on their way to the final is the team that is a little further ahead," Mourinho told Eleven Sports.
"The curious thing about this final is that the two arrive in an absolutely incredible way.
"They arrive there almost like titans, completely convinced that they are going to destroy their rival, it has everything to be a final with two teams completely convinced that ‘the trophy is mine’."
As for key players who could make a difference at the Wanda Metropolitano, Mourinho has cherry picked one from each side.
"If I had to choose one (for Liverpool), fundamentally in this last phase of growth, it would be (Virgil) van Dijk," said Mourinho.
"For Tottenham, because they made the final without Harry Kane, I would say (Christian) Eriksen."
