UCL Final: Salah says he prefers to play against Madrid, not Man City

Mohamed Salah of Liverpool says he prefers that his club face Real Madrid and not Manchester City in the Champions League final in Paris.

Liverpool and Man City are at the verge of qualifying for the final after beating Villarreal and Real Madrid respectively in their first leg meetings, however, Salah said he would prefer to play Madrid in the final in order to avenge Liverpool’s 3-1 loss to the Spanish side in the 2018 final in Kiev.

In the 2018 final in Kiev, Salah had to leave the field in tears after he was forced off with a shoulder injury in the first half of that game.

Speaking with BT Sport, Salah said, “I want to play Madrid, I have to be honest.

“City is a really tough team. We played against them a few times this season.

“But I think, if you ask me personally, I prefer Madrid, because we lost in the final (to them), so I want to play against them and hopefully we will win it.”

Speaking on the first leg of their semi-final game against Villarreal, 

Salah, who provided the assist for Fabinho’s crucial goal early in the second half said, “It was tough in the first half but then we went to the dressing room. The gaffer talked and we talked to each other as well.

“That shows character and personality in the dressing room. It shows that we are a top team. That’s why we can strike back after losing 2-0 in the first half. I think it makes the win more exciting.”

When asked if he is motivated by the possibility of winning the Quadruple, the Egyptian International replied, “For sure. Maybe not at the beginning of the season because I always focus on the Premier League and the Champions League but now we are close for everything, so why not?”