Speaking to Off The Ball, Mark Lawrenson has tipped Ibrahima Konate to start over Joel Matip in the Champions League final later this month.
Liverpool have an incredibly strong squad, and, to be honest, at this point, the XI pretty much picks itself when everyone is fit and available.
However, there is a bit of a selection headache for Jurgen Klopp to contend with at centre-back.
Joel Matip has been absolutely excellent for the Reds this season, but Ibrahima Konate has been a star in the cups and in Europe, and he’s still yet to lose a single game he’s played for Liverpool.
Klopp will have a big decision to make with these two in Paris, and according to Lawrenson, Konate will get the nod, even though he thinks Matip is the better player.
What’s been said?
Lawrenson spoke about Konate and Matip in the Champions League final.
“Well, you see I’m Matip, but it looks like Konate. Konate starts in the cup games and he seems to play in Europe, and he’s gotten better and better and better. My thing with Matip is that he gives you a bit extra, he gives you everything Konate gives you, but he’ll come out with the ball and engage midfield players, certainly Madrid’s midfield players, that’s the thing, but there’s not a big difference between the two of them,” Lawrenson said.
Tough choice
Klopp has an almost impossible decision to make with these two here.
On one hand, as Lawrenson says, Matip offers more in terms of playing out of defence and he’s been in this situation before, starting the 2019 Champions League final against Tottenham.
However, Konate has barely put a foot wrong all season, and it would be quite unfair to drop him at this point.
We certainly don’t envy Klopp in this position.
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