Adrian: At Liverpool there is a lot of desire for revenge against Real Madrid

Adrian San Miguel del Castillo, better known simply as Adrian, has made clear that Liverpool's players are keen to exact revenge for their 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in the 2018 Champions League final in Kyiv.

The two teams will face each other in this season's decider, which will take place on Saturday night at Stade de France in Paris.

In an interview with MARCA, Adrian discussed the upcoming final and Liverpool's fatigue, while also naming the favourites to win this year's Champions League trophy.

The Premier League slipped away from you in a nail-biting finish with Manchester City on Sunday. How is the dressing room?

You are left yearning for more after a season that has been as demanding as it gets. Having come so close, it's a bittersweet taste, but if you think about it with a cool head, we've achieved something incredible. In any other of the five big leagues, we would have been champions with 92 points. Congratulations to City and [Pep] Guardiola. Competition makes you stronger and with City it gets stronger every season. We have shown that two teams can be winners... even if there is only one champion.

You've won the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup. You can do the treble, and you've come close to an unprecedented quadrable. How would you rate your season?

Let's wait for it to end because there is still the Champions League, which would be the icing on the cake. In any case, winning the FA Cup, the Carabao Cup, staying one point behind City in the Premier League and reaching the final of the European Cup is something historic that, surely, we will value more in a few years' time.

Liverpool have played 62 games this season. Can you feel the fatigue in the final?

We are super motivated and with a lot of desire. I wish the final had been in the middle of the week to get rid of the bittersweet aftertaste of the league. We have played a lot of matches, every two, three, four days, in recent weeks. Real Madrid, on the other hand, have been able to take breaks, but in our favour is the pace and intensity we have in the Premier League.

Mohamed Salah said he wanted to play against Real Madrid and beat them. Is there a desire for revenge at Liverpool?

There is a lot of desire for revenge. I arrived just after the final in Kyiv, but you can feel the desire, especially because of the circumstances of that game. Mo went off injured and is looking forward to the final. He had some discomfort, but he's been taking care of himself. He is more prepared than ever and is in formidable form.

What kind of final do you foresee?

I think it's going to be a super attractive final, back and forth, with two teams that are not afraid to attack and try to be direct. Possession will be the least important thing. It's going to be like a boxing match to see who throws the hardest punch. If someone makes a small mistake, they will pay dearly for it.

And who is the favourite?

Real Madrid, by numbers and history. They are the ones who have more European Cups. The two best teams are facing each other, and they are in the better form, but I would let the pressure fall on them.

Real Madrid knocked you out in the quarter-finals last season. What has changed?

They were two totally different games. We were not at our best and now we are very strong physically and mentally. It's another reason to show Liverpool's true level.

What stands out about Real Madrid?

Real Madrid are not just [Thibaut] Courtois and [Karim] Benzema. They have a great squad. Their biggest strength is in attack and I would say it's their directness on the counter-attack. You can't lose your concentration for a tenth of a second because they'll punish you, even if they're not playing at their best. They've also shown themselves to be experts in the last few minutes.

Do Liverpool have the best forward in the world?

Not just the best forward. I would say we are the most competitive squad in the world. In the last three years we've won the Premier League, Champions League, Club World Cup... and that's down to the strength of the squad. In attack, of course, we have dynamites. It's our greatest strength.

Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz have joined [Sadio] Mane, [Roberto] Firmino and Salah, but we also have [Divock] Origi, [Takumi] Minamino and the youngsters from the youth academy: [Harvey] Elliott, Curtis Jones... Everyone who comes through brings something to the table.

What would you highlight about Salah, Mane, Firmino, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz?

Salah's technique, dribbling, verticality, finishing... I can't say just one skill. Firmino is the magician. He pulls something out of his hat and is capable of making an unexpected pass, even with an empty goal. Mane, despite not being very tall, is pure power. He is fast, unpredictable and always wants more.

Diogo Jota is the false nine par excellence. He's very tricky [to defend], like Raul Gonzalez. He is capable of taking a shot out of nothing. Luis Diaz is difficult to describe. He combines all the qualities of the previous ones. In addition, he is hungry for victories.

Would you give the Ballon d'Or to Salah?

Of course I would. Benzema is also at an incredible level, but it would be more than deserved for Mo to win it. He makes a difference. Not in vain, has been top scorer of the Premier League along with Son [Heung-min].

How do you see the duel between Alisson and Courtois?

The goalkeepers have a lot to say in the final. Alisson has almost all the qualities that any good goalkeeper should have: he is good at coming out for the ball, he has great physicality, he is good in one-on-one situations... He makes saves that help the team get points. Hopefully he can keep another clean sheet and we'll come out winners.

I'm good friends with Courtois. He has grown a lot in the last few years. What he's achieving at Real Madrid is impressive. He's at a spectacular level.

Is Van Dijk back to being the best defender there is?

He was out through injury, but he never stopped being so. But he's not just one of the best defenders, he's also one of the best defenders because of all the leadership he brings.

How important is Thiago Alcantara?

Very important. He's improved a lot and he's now back to his best. Last season he was unlucky because of COVID-19, injuries, adaptation. I hope he recovers [from his injury, which could see him miss the final]. He is a great player, but he is also a hard worker. He loves football. He finishes training and all he thinks about is football.

Does Trent Alexander-Arnold have the best shot you've ever faced, even in training?

There are some really nasty strikers of a football in this Liverpool team [laughs], but Trent has a supernatural strike. He's also able to get that whip [on the ball] in the first minute or the 90th minute. When he looks like he's tired he's able to do a 60-metre diagonal pass to [Andy] Robertson. They understand each other very well. Without looking they know where they are going to be. They are two of the best in the world going forward. They give us a lot of versatility.

Klopp arrived in 2015 at a Liverpool in crisis. What has changed?

Jurgen completely changed the mentality and philosophy with his idea of vertical football, non-stop pressing and counter-pressing from the first minute to the last. He has designed a team in his image and likeness and has turned several players into superstars. He has also created a very united dressing room capable of pulling the team through the most difficult moments.