Jose Mourinho Predicts a Penalty Shootout for the 2019 Champions League Final

Jose Mourinho says he cannot separate Liverpool or Tottenham ahead of the 2019 Champions League final in Madrid, and predicts the match could go all the way to a penalty shoot-out to decide the winner.

Speaking to Russia Today last week, the former Manchester United and Chelsea manager said “It’s so, so hard. What can I say? I say that both of them they have an incredible opportunity, and both of them come to the final with that feeling of, “we are unbeatable, we made the impossible be possible”.

“Anything can happen really. Nobody knows Liverpool better than a manager who works in the Premier League. Nobody knows Tottenham better than a manager who works in the Premier League. You can study, you can spend the next two or three weeks trying to reduce that unpredictability, but the people that works in the same country, that follows the team week in week out, they know everything about them.”

When asked for a Champions League final score prediction, Mourinho said: “In this moment every prediction is wrong! The only thing that saves my reputation is that I told you to give Ajax what they don’t like and you beat Ajax easily. That’s the only thing that saves my reputation. In terms of results it’s really, really hard to say. Score? Let’s bring the drama until the end and let’s prepare for penalties.”

 

Mourinho Says Pochettino Cannot Leave Lucas Moura out

Jose went on to say that he didn’t think Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino could leave Lucas Moura out of the team after his hat-trick in Amsterdam against Ajax booked their place in the Champions League final.

He was also predicting that Harry Kane will be back in time to take his place in the Tottenham starting line up: “I believe Spurs will have Harry Kane back. I also believe that it’s impossible for Mauricio [Pochettino] to leave Lucas Moura out. Play Lucas and [Heung-min] Son or play only Lucas and leave Son out, but I think it would be really, really hard for Mauricio to leave Lucas out”

It remains to be seen what starting line-up Pochettino goes for in Madrid, but he will be all too aware of the threat that Liverpool pose on the counter attack, so Son could play ahead of Moura, if Kane is fit. Son is better tracking back than the Brazilian and that could tip the balance in the South Korean’s favour.

 

Roberto Firmino to be fit for the Champions League final?

When asked about the Liverpool starting line-up, Mourinho made the prediction that Roberto Firmino would come into the starting 11 at the expense of Divok Origi, who scored twice in the semi-final comeback over Barcelona, “Liverpool after the weekend match in the Premier League will have two weeks to recover every player. So I think [Roberto] Firmino will be back, [Mohamed] Salah will be back, so [Divock] Origi for profile you would clearly accept that he will be on the bench. I think it will be an amazing final. I’m going to be there, I’m going to enjoy it, I’m going to feel very, very sorry for the loser.”

 

What are the odds for the Champions League final to be decided on penalties?

If Mourinho’s predictions are correct, you’ll get some good odds for the Champions League to be decided on penalties and looking at our Tottenham vs Liverpool betting tips for the final, we would not be surprised if Jose is correct with his forecasts.

The odds for Liverpool to win the Champions League final on penalties are 11/1 at bet365, and it’s 12/1 for Tottenham to win the Champions League final on penalties.

You can get odds of 13/2 for either team to win the tie after a penalty shoot-out.

The odds for the match to be a draw after 90 minutes are 5/2 with bet365, Liverpool are 1/2 favourites to lift the Champions League trophy and Tottenham are 13/8.

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