Van Dijk: Reds' away record says a lot
Liverpool defender van Dijk believes their solid form on the road stands them in good stead in final
Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid stand in Liverpool's way in the Champions League final on Sunday morning (Singapore time), but Reds defender Virgil van Dijk believes they need not fear the Galacticos when they meet in Kiev.
The reason? The Reds have lost only once away in Europe this season - a 4-2 defeat by AS Roma at the Stadio Olimpico in the semi-final, second leg earlier this month, following a 5-2 win in the first leg.
Van Dijk told the Liverpool website: "I've said it before, we're not here for no reason - we deserve to be here.
"We need to show that as well on the pitch: be brave, do our thing, do what we normally do. It's a one-off game, but we need to just be confident and show what we're good at.
"Only the Roma away game we've lost in the Champions League, so that says a lot.
"The way we play, if everyone is 100 per cent and the tactics are spot-on, then we can make it difficult for any team."
Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has urged the team to seize the moment.
He was the last Reds skipper to lift the European Cup, after the Miracle of Istanbul in 2005, when they edged out AC Milan on penalties after coming back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3.
"These players have an opportunity to not just change their careers but their lives in general. They are the moments that you dream of," Gerrard told the club website.
"My message to the players would be: go and grasp it, go and seize the moment you have worked so hard for. Go and reward yourselves for the journey you have taken this club on.
"You've got to go in with the belief and confidence; you have come this far. You've got to handle the responsibility of being a Liverpool player and you've got to go and deliver."
Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp is glad that his duel with counterpart Zidane does not have to extend beyond the touchline.
Real are targeting a third successive European club title under former French international Zidane, while Klopp is looking to deliver Liverpool's sixth continental crown and first since 2005 as the teams prepare to meet in Kiev.
"I'm glad we're not playing against each other. Me against him, marking him or whatever... I'm very glad I can send my players onto the pitch," Klopp told the club website.
"He's one of the top 10... top five players of all time. And now he's the coach of Real Madrid, a hugely experienced team on the pitch. That'll be a nice challenge."
Real have claimed a record 12 titles in Europe's elite club competition. Since Zidane took over the side in 2016, they have won back-to-back Champions League titles.
The Galacticos are bidding to become the first side since Bayern Munich in 1976 to win the tournament three years in a row.
"He's an extraordinary character in the football world," Klopp added.
"I admired him as a player and respect him as a colleague. It's incredible what he's been doing with Madrid... that's why I'm obviously looking forward to it.
"But we're not going there to grab some jerseys. I'm not going there to shake his hand, which of course will happen anyway... he's a great footballing legend."
Klopp received a boost when Germany midfielder Emre Can, who missed the past two months with injury, returned to training yesterday.
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