Sky Sports pundit Phil Thompson has slammed Sergio Ramos’ declining physical attributes ahead of Real Madrid’s Champions League final against Liverpool in Kiev on Saturday night.
The Reds will be aiming to win their sixth European title and Thompson believes that Jurgen Klopp’s side will just about do that due to the weakness of Madrid’s defence.
He believes that Ramos’ lack of pace is something that Liverpool should be looking to expose in Kiev, especially with the amount of fouls he gives away.
“I class Real Madrid as a similar side to Manchester City in terms of not knowing how to park the bus, so it will be an open game, and I would like to think we can take advantage of that,” he said on the Sky Sports website.
“You can suggest that both sides’ defences aren’t the best, but I think ours is a little better now, especially in the full-back areas. I know that they have the big names, but I think ours are more capable defensively.
“Sergio Ramos has had his critics and, while he is a warrior and a winner, he is also slow and only getting slower, which is why he gets so many yellow and red cards and plays into the hands of our pacy forward line.”
OPINION
Liverpool may well be seeing Real Madrid’s defence as their weakpoint, but the Spanish titans will also be seeing Liverpool’s defence as theirs. Although Virgil van Dijk has helped solidify things at the back, there is still the potential for Klopp’s men to concede goals. Away from van Dijk, Dejan Lovren still has a mistake in him while the less said about the goalkeeper options, the better. If Liverpool do not win, it will most likely be down to a defensive error that will lead them to conceding a completely avoidable goal. Players like Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo will pounce on opportunities like that having played in so many big games over their careers. Who have Liverpool got to match that kind of experience? No one jumps off the page. They have to start somewhere though and 2018 in Ukraine could be the time and place where Mohamed Salah, Jordan Henderson and Roberto Firmino etch themselves into Anfield history.