Real Madrid star Toni Kroos has issued a glowing verdict of Liverpool ahead of the Champions League final.
Los Blancos face the Reds in Paris on Saturday as they look to claim their 14th Champions League title, and indeed to continue their dominance of this competition over recent years.
It has already been a successful season for Carlo Ancelotti’s men, who won the La Liga title at a canter.
And they are just 90 minutes away from securing another famous double.
To do that, they will need to beat the team they defeated in the 2018 final – Liverpool.
On that occasion, Gareth Bale decided the game with two goals off the bench, but while issuing his verdict of Liverpool, Kroos has admitted they deserved to win four years ago, in Kyiv.
“Sincerely, I believe that Liverpool were the better team in 2018,” he told ZDF via Diario AS.
“They have managed to keep their best players and signed some more.
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“Thiago sets the guidelines in the midfield, behind they continue to be strong and I think that, as for perseverance, they were the best team in Europe this season.
“But it’s still just one game and also, you have to keep in mind that they knocked us out last season in the quarter finals.
“It’s at 50%.”