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He left Liverpool for Real Madrid at just 24 years old, having scored 158 goals in 297 appearances. The Reds beat AC Milan the following season in the famous Champions League final at Istanbul’s Ataturk Olympic Stadium after losing 3-0 in the first half.
But for Michael Owen, the upcoming clash between Liverpool and Los Blancos on Saturday for the Champions League title at the Stade de France will not be very relevant.
Speaking exclusively to the British Daily Mail before the match, Owen said: “I think Liverpool are better than Real Madrid and they can blow them away 3-1 or 3-0, that is my prediction”
He added, “I think they can beat them reasonably, convincingly because they are an exceptional team at the moment and they are very good compared to Real Madrid.”
Real made another miraculous comeback to save themselves against Manchester City in the semi-finals and Karim Benzema broke Chelsea’s hearts in the quarter-finals.
Owen continues: “Real Madrid did a very good job to reach the final. I’m sure they think their name is on the cup, so what by qualifying during the group stage and then of course Chelsea were amazing and how they got through that. Manchester City were just mind blowing and we saw how they beat them too.”
“But I think Liverpool are very experienced and good. They won’t want to play with them because I think Real Madrid is the best team when it comes to knowledge and winning close matches.”
Despite being booed at Anfield when he returned from La Liga with Newcastle United, the club he joined from Real Madrid, Owen’s loyalty still lies firmly with Liverpool.
“Everyone knows I’ve spent half my life at Liverpool. Don’t get me wrong, I had an amazing year at Real Madrid, met some amazing people and had the most amazing experience. It was a great honor to play in this white shirt on that court and I loved every minute of it. But of course I support Liverpool.”
The two teams have faced each other in the same final twice before. First, in 1981, with the Reds winning 1-0. Most recently in 2018, when Real Madrid won 3-1 in Kyiv.
So how will this encounter end? Owen warns Jurgen Klopp’s men that Vinicius Jr could be a weapon for Los Blancos.
“I think Liverpool will probably get a lot of the ball because I think Real Madrid will be keen to block the spaces behind them so that they obstruct the likes of Salah and Mane,” Owen said.
“But I also think they will want to sit down deep encouraging Liverpool to play that way and then try to take advantage of the counter-attacks. Any opponent who will look at Liverpool and think how we can defeat them is to try to get behind them.”
“When Trent Alexander-Arnold goes forward, Vinicius could get spaces which could really hurt Liverpool in this situation.”
“Benzema is in great shape of course, but I think it’s just as slow and fast as Vinicius they might try to take advantage of. Liverpool plays in a very similar way whatever it is, a similar formation, and I don’t think there will be any surprises from Liverpool.”
“They will play the way they normally play and that’s usually good enough to win. Real Madrid will likely want it to be tactical and I certainly expect them to play on the counter-attack.”
Liverpool survived an intense terror in Spain to reach the final after a poor first-half performance that saw Villarreal draw 2-2 on aggregate.
But the 2001 Ballon d’Or winner still believes Liverpool have enough in their arsenal to beat Real Madrid as long as they contain Benzema and Vinicius Jr.
“Benzema has had the most amazing season and he looks better than ever even though he is 34 years old. I expect Luis Diaz to play. I think he played his part in the team. This type of match was prepared for Mohamed Salah.”
So, is the current Liverpool team the best team in the world? “I think it’s one of the best teams ever,” Owen says.
And he concluded: “This is the best team I have ever seen in Liverpool and they have had some good teams over the years, but this team is very exceptional and led by an exceptional coach.”
Source: Daily Mail
