Spurs v Liverpool: Destiny Awaits

by Matthew Harris · Published 29th May 2019 · Updated 24th March 2020

The club motto states that To Dare is to Do but let’s be honest: How many of us dared to dream that we’d make it this far? On Saturday, Spurs line up in their first ever Champions League final with Liverpool standing in the way of ourselves and ultimate glory.

Many are still coming down from the thrill of last ditch victory in Amsterdam but we have to focus now on the reality. It’s all about 90 minutes – and possibly more – so which way will this go?

Team News

Injury updates have been filtering through all week but they mainly focus on one man. Harry Kane seems to be winning his fitness battle but will Pochettino risk him from the start? He’s only just back and with the potential for extra time and possibly penalties, there is that decision as to whether Harry should start from the bench.

At least Kane should play some part and the overall injury news is positive. Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez featured in the photo, alongside Harry Kane, showing that the trio are back in full training while Harry Winks is also set to return. The only absentee from the full squad could, therefore, be Serge Aurier. There’s no update on the defender from the club and many are reading that as a statement on his long term Spurs future.

Exact team news will follow shortly but that’s what we know so far.

Match Odds

Harry Kane

Even the most avid Spurs fan would not expect us to be at the top of the betting for this one. In the 90 minute win market, Liverpool lead the way and the Reds can be backed at best industry odds of 19/20 with Unibet.

The draw is next on the list at 13/5 with BetFred and Black Type while a win for Spurs drops in at 16/5 with Unibet and Betway.

Those are the numbers for the result in 90 minutes but what about the To Lift the Trophy betting? Liverpool’s numbers shorten as you’d imagine to best odds of 8/15 with BetFred while Spurs come along at a top price of 9/5 with 10Bet.

We’re not even going to recommend anything this time: The figures are there for those that want to get involved while we go hunting for some alternative options in the side betting.

Other Side Bets

Dele Alli

Two Liverpool players joined in a share of the Premier League Golden Boot at the end of 2018/19 and it’s they who head the betting for first goal scorer. Mo Salah kicks things off at 4/1 with Coral and Black Type while Sadio Mane follows close behind at 9/2 with SportingBet.

Harry Kane matches those numbers in places but he is slightly further back at an industry best of 27/5 with Unibet. Obviously, if you are looking to take a bet on Harry then you should wait until the starting line up is announced around an hour before kick off.

Moving through this market, other options to consider include Divock Origi at a top price of 11/2 with 10Bet and RedZoneSports while Son Heung-Min has been our talisman in Europe and can be picked up at 15/2 with Betway.

We’ll be positive and close this market out with Spurs players so why not take a look at Lucas Moura at 8/1 with 888Sport and Royal Panda, Dele Alli at 12/1 with William Hill and Christian Eriksen at 14/1 with BetFred.

Looking at other popular side bets, Both Teams to Score in 90 minutes is an obvious one and this isn’t as short as we might have expected. SportNation and RedZoneSports are quoting the industry best odds of 10/13.

We also like to look at total goals and here we find that betting over the standard 2.5 line will bring a top price of 10/11 with BetFred while being braver and going over 3.5 will return a current best of 12/5 with William Hill.

Remember, with the exception of the To Lift the Trophy option, all of those bets are for the result in 90 minutes.

Dangerman

This could be a very short section and we’ve underlined the two main threats to Spurs in the above first scorer bets. Mo Salah hasn’t quite enjoyed the same productiveness in front of goal but he did enough to claim a share of that Golden Boot so we can’t really say that he’s suffering from second season syndrome.

The concern is that Sadio Mane has been so productive for the Reds so there is clearly more than one major threat. And then we have Divock Origi – a sub who would walk into most Premier League starting XIs.

To stand any chance of lifting that cup, we have to keep these men quiet and on that note, we’ll end our rather obvious conclusion.

Head to Head

The overall head to head isn’t going to cheer anyone up and get them in the mood for the big game. Ahead of Saturday’s final, there have been 172 games between Spurs and Liverpool with the Reds winning 82. Spurs have won 48 and there have been 42 draws.

Those with longer memories will recall that the teams have met in Europe before. Back in 1973, Spurs were defending their UEFA Cup trophy but Liverpool came through on away goals after the scores were level at 2-2 on aggregate.

Things have been more positive in recent times but once again, this is a section where we should move swiftly on.

Verdict

It all comes down to this – a night that many of us didn’t think we would see. Can we bear the thought of defeat when one game would compensate for all of those years of hurt? Trying to be focussed for a while, we know that Liverpool are a potent attacking threat and perhaps the best option would be to match them at that game rather than try to sit back and absorb pressure.

A high scoring affair looks to be in prospect so we’ll kick off the tips with that Both Teams to Score bet. It’s odds on but 10/13 isn’t a bad figure for two teams who should look to play high up the field.

Next up is a goal in 90 minutes for Dele Alli. It’s not our most confident of bets and while Dele hasn’t enjoyed the best of seasons, he’s just the type of player that can rise to a big game like this.

As for the result, we won’t tempt fate but just believe and wait for the outcome of the biggest game in a lifetime of following the club we love.