On Saturday, the Champions League Final between Liverpool and Tottenham will kick off at 3 p.m. ET, and the starting line-ups for both teams have been announced. Both sides are able to name 11 players to start and noticeably missing from the Spurs lineup: Lucas Moura.
The starting lineup for Tottenham: Lloris in goal; Trippier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose; Winks, Sissoko, Eriksen; Alli, Son, and Kane.
Spurs Substitutes: Gazzaniga, Vorm, Sanchez, Foyth, Davies, Aurier, Dier, Walker-Peters, Wanyama, Lucas, Lamela, and Llorente.
The reason Lucas has been delegated to the bench is because Spurs’s star striker Harry Kane is back in action after missing the last nine games due to an ankle ligament injury. Kane hasn’t played in a match since April 9, and while it makes sense for coach Mauricio Pochettino to put Kane right back in the mix, it’s still hard to understand why Moura would be the player to be relegated to the bench.
The Brazilian footballer is a right winger for the Spurs, and he’s a key reason why Tottenham has made it to the Final in the first place. In the qualifier against Ajax, he scored a hat-trick in the second half which sealed the team’s winning fate. Pochettino also chose to start Harry Winks over Moura, who must be fit enough after undergoing groin surgery just last month.
The Tottenham coach said “For me, respect must be massive for the players who are selected and we want to show that. Tough decisions are painful but it’s part of my job to pick the starting XI and to try to win the game.”
Fans were not too happy to find out Moura was relegated to the bench. Many found it to be a sign of disrespect, while others acknowledge that this is just how things go in the cut-throat world of football. As for Spurs fans, they are livid.
Poch has been closely watching the lads train, if Kane wasn’t ready he would’ve left him out or bench at best. Yes we all feel for Lucas Moura but he won’t be sulking about it & knows it’s a squad game, as long as Lucas gets on because he deserves to play some part in the final
Liverpool is starting with it’s strong forward line of Salah, Mane & Firmino. Why can’t Pochetinno match this squad by starting Lucas Moura alongside Kane & Son. I hope dropping Moura on the bench it doesn’t backfire on him #LIVTOT UCL finals.
Starting Lineup for the Reds: Alisson in goal; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Wijnaldum; Salah, Mane, and Firmino.
Liverpool Substitutes: Mignolet, Kelleher, Gomez, Lovren, Moreno, Milner, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lallana, Shaqiri, Sturridge, Origi, and Brewster.
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Liverpool vs. Tottenham Starting XI: Why is Lucas Moura Benched for Champions League Final?