The Reds are seeking a sixth triumph in UEFA's elite club competition, 14 years on from their most recent success, while Spurs are competing in the final for the first time in their history.

Both teams defied the odds to make it this far, each recovering from three-goal deficits in the semi-finals - against Barcelona and Ajax respectively - but only one of the sides can come out on top in this all-English affair in Madrid.

Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool have been here before, meanwhile, having conquered Europe five times already. They also reached this stage 12 months ago when going down 3-1 to holders Real Madrid in Kiev. That took Klopp's record to six final defeats in a row in all competitions, stretching back to his time at Borussia Dortmund.

Both managers had one or two big decisions to make for tonight's huge showdown - will it be Harry Kane who leads the Tottenham line? Will Roberto Firmino be fit enough to start through the middle for Liverpool? Let us find out...

STARTING XI: Lloris; Trippier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose; Sissoko, Winks; Alli, Eriksen, Son; Kane

SUBS: Gazzaniga, Vorm, Sanchez, Foyth, Davies, Aurier, Dier, Walker-Peters, Wanyama, Lucas Moura, Lamela, Llorente

That is a truly massive call from Pochettino, and it is one that many expected him to make given that Kane has had more than a week's training. The big loser is Lucas Moura, the scorer of a hat-trick in the last round, as he drops to the bench.

Pochettino has a lot of faith in the England international and he does tend to shine on the European stage. Winks is used alongside Moussa Sissoko - a key performer in this run to the final - in holding midfield.

Rose and Trippier will operate at full-back, with Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld used in the middle in what is a 4-2-3-1 formation. Son will presumably start on the left of a three-man attacking midfield, with Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli also offering support for Kane.

STARTING XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum; Salah, Firmino, Mane

SUBS: Mignolet, Lovren, Milner, Gomez, Sturridge, Moreno, Lallana, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Shaqiri, Brewster, Origi, Kelleher

Firmino starts in a full-strength attack that also includes Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, who has been arguably Liverpool's star performer this season.

Divock Origi was the hero of the semi-final triumph against Barcelona, but he drops down to the bench today to make way for Firmino. In defence, it is Joel Matip over Dejan Lovren alongside Virgil van Dijk.

On the opposite flank is Andrew Robertson, who also has an extra year's experience under his belt following that heartbreaking defeat to Los Blancos in 2018. In goal, meanwhile, it is no surprise to see Alisson Becker get the nod after a sensational first season in English football.

Liverpool have Roberto Firmino back in their ranks, meanwhile, with the Brazilian returning from a month-long layoff.

The Englishman has scored five goals in nine matches against Liverpool, while also providing two assists, but his last goal versus today's opponents came back in February 2018.

Make no mistake about it - Pochettino's decision to recall his leading goalscorer is massive, and it will no doubt be dissected in plenty of detail depending on whether Tottenham win or lose today.

The Reds struggled a little in the group phase this time around, however, with back-to-back losses to Red Star Belgrade and Paris Saint-Germain leaving them needing to beat Napoli in their final fixture. They prevailed 1-0 at Anfield through a first-half goal from Mohamed Salah, though if not for a late save from Alisson Becker they would have been out.

A goalless draw at Anfield was seen as a negative result by many, but Klopp's side always have goals in them and that proved in the second leg in Bavaria as they progressed through thanks to a couple of Sadio Mane goals and one from Virgil van Dijk. Incredibly, that was not even the most memorable result of this European campaign.

Again, many things happened across the two legs that make you think that Klopp's side are simply destined to lift the trophy. Ousmane Dembele's late miss in the first leg with the scoreline at 3-0 sticks out in particular, as Liverpool more than rode their luck before producing the unthinkable on Merseyside to set up this all-English final in Madrid.

Even so much as reaching the knockout stages, having been placed in a very tough group, has to be considered a good achievement for the Lilywhites, especially when taking into account their lack of transfer activity over the past year and a half.

In case you have been living under a rock, Pochettino has not added to his squad since Lucas joined from PSG in January 2018.

What followed in the next two rounds was truly staggering. Tottenham beat Man City 4-4 on away goals in what was, personally speaking, the best game of this and many other seasons.

That is even accounting for the 3-3 away-goals win against Ajax when recovering from three goals down with 35 minutes of the match to play in Amsterdam. Lucas was the hero, but his reward for that display is a place on the bench today!

Spurs ended the Premier League campaign with two losses and a draw, though they still did enough to hold off bitter rivals Arsenal for fourth place. No matter what happens today, then, they will be competing in the Champions League again next season.

The Reds are officially the best runners-up in top-flight history, though that will count for little in the grand scheme of things. Some say winning the Champions League would not make up for finishing second, but try telling that to those supporters celebrating into the early hours if their side do come out on top in Madrid.

The only previous meeting between the Reds and Spurs in a major final was in the 1982 EFL Cup final, with the Merseysiders coming from behind to win 3-1 after extra time.

Lucas cancelled out Firmino's goal at Anfield and Sissoko then had a huge chance to win the match for Spurs late on, only to blaze high over the bar following some impressive defending from Van Dijk.

A frantic finale then saw Alderweireld put the ball into his own net as the Reds claimed a slender win to keep their title hopes well and truly alive.

Spurs have defeated the likes of Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Ajax and Manchester City over the past two seasons, while also claiming a draw at Barcelona, so they have players in their squad used to competing against the world's very best sides.

Klopp's record in finals has been mentioned a lot in the build-up to this match and, should that run stretch to a seventh defeat in a row, he will have plenty to answer for.

Unlike in the majority of those previous finals, though, his side head into this clash as favourites. There really can be no excuses for the German come full time this evening.

Liverpool have lost their last four appearances in major domestic and European finals since winning the 2012 EFL Cup. Meanwhile, Spurs' last major trophy win was also the EFL Cup (2008), losing their last two finals since then.

Both teams have given us plenty of thrills both in the Premier League and Champions League over the past nine months, so fingers crossed for some entertainment in the biggest game of them all this evening. This one should live up to the hype it has been given.

Mauricio Pochettino: "We all have fears. It's not that you are not going to fear anything. You are still going to have fears, but you're going to be free to work [through them]. People without fears don't exist.

"The difference is people who tackle their fears, who cope with them, and who achieve. The other people are those that freeze with fear. Successful people have the same fears as other people. It's just that they take them on."

Jurgen Klopp: "The thing is, you - the outside world - judges us by what we win and what we don't. Look back in 20 years and nobody will talk about our brilliant season, unless another team comes close to 97 points. Nobody will really speak about it but, for me, it will stay forever.

"But the outside world is different and we have to accept that. Coaches, most of us, judge each other not on trophies - and not because most of us don't win them - but because we know about the job."

The ex-Southampton manager's thinking is that once you lift the biggest club trophy there is to win, there is nothing else left to do.

Klopp will definitely still be at Anfield next season, meanwhile, having once again dismissed rumours linking him to the Juventus job this week.

Spurs are capable of beating Liverpool in a one-off match, but the Reds have been so impressive throughout the season and showed no sign of buckling when the pressure was on during the closing stages of the Premier League season.

Klopp's side should be better suited to rise to such a grand occasion, then, and we are backing them to add a sixth European Cup to their honours list. 3-1.

This will be the second all-English European Cup/Champions League final, with Manchester United beating Chelsea on penalties in 2008 in the other.

Liverpool were the losing finalists in last season's Champions League final – the last side to lose consecutive finals in the competition were Valencia in 2000 and 2001.

Of players to have scored at least 10 Champions League goals, Liverpool's Sadio Mane has scored the highest percentage of them in the knockout stages of the competition (71.4%, 10/14).

Madrid has been taken over by Tottenham and Liverpool fans in the past few days, but the trip will end in heartbreak for one of these sides.

This year's Champions League has been the best ever, giving us twists and turns galore. Fingers crossed for one final night of drama. Here. We. Go!

Following a minute's silence for Jose Antonio Reyes, who tragically died in a car accident, it is Liverpool who get the final underway!

The Reds' supporters are the ones making all the noise now, buoyed by that early goal. Salah has now scored six goals versus Spurs - his joint-best opponent in his European club career (also Bournemouth and Watford).

It is whipped towards Vertonghen but Van Dijk gets his head to the ball first.

The ball is spread to Rose high up on the left but he miscontrols it and Liverpool have a throw.

A word on the conditions in Madrid - it is incredibly hot, even now, and that will no doubt play a part as this match goes on. Spurs are the side on top at the moment.

Tottenham have been pretty dominant in terms of possession after settling into the match, though they are chasing a goal with a quarter of an hour played.

Play is stopped for 30 seconds or so because there is a streaker on the field.

Pochettino will be pleased enough with his side's response to falling behind, but they need to start testing Alisson. Son is one-on-one with Alexander-Arnold but cannot get past his man.

Salah's shot from 25 yards deflects wide off Alderweireld.

A cross from the left via Robertson is then brilliantly defended by Rose - had he not got there Salah would have had a second.

The Reds are now enjoying a spell on top, culminating in another corner being won. Their set pieces have been pretty good so far.

The referee gives Pochettino a little talking to as the manager was among those who felt there was malice from Robertson.

Tottenham are trying to get the ball forward from deep. The ball is finally launched forward, Son takes it in his stride but the offside flag eventually goes up.

This is a key period in the match - neither side are managing to find any momentum. Fabinho drags down Kane just inside his own half.

Another stray pass in midfield, this time from a Liverpool player, is gobbled up by Sissoko. Neither team can find any sort of rhythm to their game at the comment.

Alli gets the wrong side of Robertson but all he can manage is a corner, which is worked short to Trippier before being cleared.

Salah's goal (1:48) was his quickest at club level since November 2015, when he scored after 1:36 for Roma against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.

That was the best either side have offered since Salah's early breakthrough goal. The corner is wasted, though, as Salah volleys over from the edge of the box.

A shot deflects into the path of Firmino but he plays it out wide rather than going for goal, and a corner is won.

This is Liverpool's best spell of the match, right at the end of the first half. This latest corner is cleared by Son.

I think both sides could do with half time now as the game has not really got going so far.

That was one of just two on-target attempts in a low-quality first half, with Andy Robertson's long-ranger - forcing Hugo Lloris into a fingertip stop - the other.

Tottenham have not been ahead in any of their 13 Champions League games this season, though they still went on to win six of the previous 12, so they still have hope ahead of the second period in Madrid.

TOTTENHAM SUBS: Gazzaniga, Vorm, Sanchez, Foyth, Davies, Aurier, Dier, Walker-Peters, Wanyama, Lucas Moura, Lamela, Llorente

LIVERPOOL SUBS: Mignolet, Lovren, Milner, Gomez, Sturridge, Moreno, Lallana, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Shaqiri, Brewster, Origi, Kelleher

Tottenham have started the second half on top, sending a few balls into the opposition area.

Maybe it is the three-week gap between matches, the heat or just simply the occasion, but this has been a pretty poor match in terms of the quality of football on display.

Pochettino must surely be tempted to turn to his bench in the next 10 minutes to give his side something a little different - Lucas for Alli or Son is the obvious choice.

Fabinho's effort from a long way out is easily dealt with by Lloris.

Up the other end moments later, Alli makes a positive run and a shot inside the box is blocked. The game has opened up a fair bit all of a sudden.

The shot arrives and it goes behind for another corner from the other side, which Vertonghen heads over the crossbar. Half a chance, that!

Tottenham are probing away but a clean shot does not arrive and Alli's pass goes behind for a goal kick. Klopp appears to be readying another substitution.

Tottenham have seen 65% of the ball in the opening 64 minutes but have very little to show for it. Pochettino is about to make his first change.

Pochettino has two more changes to make in normal time, compared to Klopp's one.

There are now a little over 20 minutes for Liverpool to see through for a sixth European Cup triumph.

The midfielder's shot had Lloris rooted to the spot but it is inches wide of the bottom corner. Very close to being curtains for Tottenham!

Trippier then sends in a second cross and pulls up, seemingly with a hamstring injury. Liverpool counter and Alderweireld takes the ball off Mane's boot before he can shoot.

Sissoko and Rose are also on the ground so there will be a stoppage in play.

Dier and Davies are warming up with Trippier, Sissoko and Rose each carrying injuries.

Alli's chipped shot is plucked out of the air by Alisson - a rare shot on target for Spurs.

That Alli shot a few minutes ago was Tottenham's first on target all evening. They are looking a lot more positive now compared to the first hour of the game.

Tottenham are being allowed to dominate possession but they frustratingly go all the way back to Lloris instead of keeping their momentum going.

Liverpool are playing a dangerous game as Son's latest shot rolls down the middle for Alisson to keep out.

Rose is caught by Milner a yard outside the box. The full-backs asks the referee to check VAR, which confirms the contact was definitely outside the area. Still, this is a chance for Spurs.

The free kick is helped on by Moura and Son lifts it over the bar from a few yards out, though he was offside anyway.

Rose then gets a shot away which is very tame and easy for Alisson to deal with down to his right.

There are three minutes of added time to come.

Salah opened the scoring from the penalty spot two minutes in after Sissoko handled Mane's cross and, despite plenty of toiling from Tottenham, Klopp's men added a second three minutes from time through Origi's crisp finish.

Credit to Tottenham for reaching the final, but it was one match too far for them.

An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, and be sure to stick around for some reaction from both camps.

Thanks for joining us today. See you again soon!