Jose Mourinho has picked out who he sees as the two key players in the all-English Champions League final between Tottenham and Liverpool .
The Premier League pair will go head-to-head on Saturday evening at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium in the Spanish capital, where Spurs will play in European club football's biggest occasion for the first time.
It is a ninth final for Liverpool, and a second in as many years following their 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in Kiev last season.
And former Chelsea and Manchester United manager Mourinho sees stars from both sides as being crucial to dictating the outcome.
"If I had to choose one (for Liverpool), fundamentally in this last phase of growth, it would be (Virgil) van Dijk," Mourinho told Eleven Sports .
"For Tottenham, because they made the final without Harry Kane, I would say (Christian) Eriksen."
The Dutchman and Dane will be certain starters for their sides for the final, for which Mourinho will be working as a television pundit for beIN SPORTS alongside his former Premier League rival Arsene Wenger .
But the Portuguese has stopped short of predicting a winner for the game just yet, purely because of the dramatic fashion in which both sides got to the final.
Liverpool beat Barcelona 4-0 at Anfield after losing the first leg of their semi-final 3-0, while the next night Tottenham scored three times in the second half at Ajax to go through on away goals.
"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,’ said Mourinho.
"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’."
