Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has explained how last season's Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid has shaped his team this campaign.
Goals from Karim Benzema and a brace from former Spurs man Gareth Bale, including an unforgettable overhead kick, condemned the Reds to a 3-1 defeat in Kiev.
While some clubs may have taken a while to get over the defeat, Klopp has insisted that it helped his team to kick on this season, challenging Manchester City for the Premier League title as well as returning for a second attempt at winning the Champions League. This time Tottenham stand in their way.
"It had a big influence on us," Klopp said of last season's final defeat. "When we stood in the queue at Kiev airport on the way home, everyone with their heads down, there were a lot of different emotions. The plan was to come again, to be there again. Now we are there and it's incredible."
"Kiev was the kickstart for the development of this team, 100%. From first day in pre-season, it was a big big step. This team can't compare with the team from last year."
Both Liverpool and Tottenham staged brilliant comebacks from 3-0 down in order to reach the final of the competition. The Reds beat Barcelona by an aggregate score of 4-3, while Spurs came back in the final 45 minutes of the tie to go through in dramatic fashion via the away goals rule against Ajax.
The two teams meet in the final at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid on Saturday.
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