Liverpool defender Joel Matip is confident that the Reds can beat Tottenham Hotspur in next month’s Champions League final in Madrid. The Merseyside outfit reached the competition’s final after their stunning comeback triumph over Barcelona and they are now regarded as the favourites to secure a sixth Champions League crown.

Speaking to the club’s official website, Matip acknowledged that he did not experience the best of starts to the season after sustaining an injury during the pre-season tour. He added that he is pleased to make a major contribution during the backend of the campaign and is confident that the Reds will come up triumphs against Spurs on June 1.

He said: “At the beginning of the season I was struggling with injuries and other lads did very well, so there was no reason to change. But in the second half I could play and could improve. I feel good. You are waiting for this. And then if you can use it, it’s not a bad feeling – it’s not the worst feeling. It was a great season and we can finish it. It’s the biggest game during this season and we will do everything for this. It will be a completely different game, but we know we can beat them and we are looking forward.”

Liverpool missed out on the Premier League title by the single point but they had the domination over fourth-placed Spurs, who finished 26 points behind them. Moreover, Jurgen Klopp’s side managed to secure maximum points from both encounters against Spurs during the league campaign and that should provide them with the added advantage.

Nonetheless, Spurs are unlikely to come to the final without meaning business and the Reds need to be wary of the attack, which made a stellar comeback during the second leg of the semi-final against Ajax. Lucas Moura was the main architect for the club’s revival in Amsterdam after scoring a stunning second-half hat-trick to propel the team to the final on the away goal rule.