Nuno Espirito Santo has been a thrilled observer of Liverpool’s historic week but on Sunday he is determined to ensure it all ends in tears.
Like much of the nation, the Wolves head coach watched from home as Jurgen Klopp’s side pulled off one of the unlikeliest comebacks in their storied European history.
Yet on the final day of the Premier League season, Nuno’s side will share centre-stage with Klopp’s men and aim to deny them hope of the title in their showdown with Manchester City.
Nuno said: “The players are aware of the game and they want to compete just as they always do.
“We don’t think about other things. We prepare ourselves in exactly the same way as we always do.
“There is no exception. There was no game that we didn’t prepare the same way with the same details and the same approach, so we’re not going to change in the last game of the season.
“What happens on the pitch is what you can control, anything outside of that you can’t. Of course it’s a big, big game and we want to play it – we are ready.”
Nuno admits, however, that he watched the comeback against Barcelona not as a rival manager, but as a wide-eyed football fan.
“When you watch a game on TV you don’t watch it as a manager, you watch it as a fan of the game,” he said.
“Liverpool v Barcelona and Tottenham v Ajax were fantastic games. Who doesn’t enjoy that? They were amazing.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen what I’m seeing now. What I see is fantastic.
“It is amazing for the competition that two teams so good go to the final day competing for the title. What both teams have done is amazing and everybody should congratulate them.”
