Jurgen Klopp has sent a warning to his Liverpool team over the quality of Real Madrid.
The Reds take on Los Blancos in the Champions League final on Saturday, in what is a repeat of the 2018 final in Kyiv.
But a lot has changed since then, and Liverpool now head into this final as favourites, despite missing out on the Premier League title.
Real Madrid won the La Liga title, but it was a strange season in Spain’s top-flight, with the likes of Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Sevilla all performing below par.
Los Blancos are serial Champions League winners, now in search of their 14th title, and they have shown their pedigree in the competition this season.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men have stunned PSG, Manchester City and others, and Liverpool could also fall victim to the Spanish club’s Champions League legend, if they are not careful.
So, it’s a good job Klopp is well aware of the danger his opponents pose.
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“First and foremost, they are a world-class team, a world-class club, and they know how to win football games,” the Reds boss told UEFA.
“The core [of the teams that met in 2018], especially the midfield, is still there. A lot of things are still how they were before.
“So, their back line has changed a lot. Up front, Cristiano [Ronaldo] is not there, true, but [Karim] Benzema is still there, with young Brazilians [Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo] now and all these kinds of things, so it’s a top-class team.”