The goals of Mohamed Salah have helped the English side reach their first final in 11 years, but this has been a golden era in Europe for Real.

The Spanish giants are targeting their fourth Champions League title in five years and their third in a row in the game, which kicks off at 1845 GMT.

The last team to win three in a row was Bayern Munich over 40 years ago.

None of Klopp’s players have appeared in a Champions League final before.

“Experience is important. I’m pretty sure that in the seconds before the game Real will be more confident than we are, but that’s not important because the game doesn’t end in that moment, it only starts,” said Klopp, who lost the 2013 final with Borussia Dortmund.

Real’s 12 European Cup wins puts them way ahead of the rest, but Liverpool have lifted the trophy five times, most recently in 2005, against AC Milan in Istanbul.

The Reds have also enjoyed a memorable continental campaign, scoring a tournament record 46 goals and beating Manchester City and Roma en route to the Ukrainian capital.

Zidane’s side have beaten Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Bayern — this season’s French, Italian and German champions — in the knockout rounds, but Klopp still believes his team can upset the odds at the Olympic Stadium.

“You analyse Real Madrid playing in other games against other teams and you think ‘wow, they are really strong’, but they never played us.

“We are Liverpool and we are not just a good team. This club has in its DNA that we can really go for the big things. Nobody expected us to be here but we are here because we are Liverpool.”

– Salah’s ‘fantastic potential’ –

Klopp agreed that his job in the build-up has mainly involved taking the pressure off his players, and that meant playing down suggestions that this was Salah’s chance to break up Lionel Messi and Ronaldo’s grip on the Ballon d’Or.

“It’s not important in the moment, no manager is interested in that. I’m interested in performing.

“Lionel Messi and Ronaldo deserve all the praise they have had in the past because they were constantly all those years on that level.

“If Mo can go there we will see in the next years. He he has fantastic potential. This season was exceptional, unbelievable so far.”

Salah has scored 44 goals in his first season at the club. As a Muslim, he has observed Ramadan since May 16, but Klopp refused to discuss whether the Egyptian would fast during daylight hours before the final.

“Religion is private, that is how I understand it, so nothing to say about that,” he stated.

– Ronaldo targets new landmark –

Meanwhile, Ronaldo could win his fifth Champions League, a landmark reached by only four players before now.

The Portuguese star has found the net 41 times this season, and his coach is confident he will be at his very best again.

“He’s fine. You have to know something, he lives for games like this,” said Zinedine Zidane, who can become the first coach to win three consecutive Champions League titles.

The only doubt in the Real starting line-up surrounds which one of Isco or Gareth Bale will start in support of Ronaldo and Karim Benzema up front.

“We have beaten the biggest team in each league — Juve, PSG and Bayern — to get here. It has been a difficult path and now we need to finish the job,” said Real skipper Sergio Ramos.

The path to Kiev has also been difficult for fans, due to the exorbitant cost of flights and hotel rooms.

Around 1,000 Real fans handed back tickets, while a number of Liverpool supporters’ flights have been cancelled due to insufficient landing space at Kiev’s Boryspil Airport.

Those who have made it after often arduous journeys will be hoping for an unforgettable occasion.

The well-built 28-year-old shot a fine three-under-par 69 on Friday to add to his first-round 68 and lies five shots off clubhouse leader Rory McIlroy at the midway point.

Despite a fine round he regretted dropping a shot on the par-five 18th after finishing his first round in similarly disappointing fashion.

“Obviously I’m playing so well in the last six to eight months, and looking forward to having a big win,” said Kiradech, who has enjoyed three top-five finishes in recent months.

“This week might be a good week to make the top, with a lot of players coming, great players in the world to support the European Tour.

“But I just want to play my best golf and show them how Asian players are strong enough to play against them.”

Kiradech, who has four wins on the European Tour, said he was especially pleased with his putting, which gives him hope he can deny four-time Major winner McIlroy a second PGA success after his victory in 2014.

“I’ve been putting so good,” said Kiradech. “I hole everything inside 15 feet, which is phenomenal. Just have to keep doing that until the last two rounds to catch Rory.”

Kiradech, who has yet to make an impression at the Majors, with a best result of tied-15th in the 2016 Masters, said he was happy with his performance on such a demanding course.

“Yes, I’ve been really happy with the result of the first two rounds,” he said. “Every time you play under this golf course, they are very tough conditions. You have to be really pleased with it.”

And he said he was optimistic about the weekend.

“I was quite disappointed the way I finished two days in a row just the par 5 (18th) but I’m hitting the middle of the fairways and got an iron in your hand and walk away with bogeys, which is a little bit disappointing,” he said. “But overall, still really good shape.”

The bubbly 20-year-old, seeded 21 for the French Open which starts on Sunday, has enjoyed a breakthrough season.

She became the first unseeded player since 2005 to win the prestigious Indian Wells tournament, beating Maria Sharapova, current world number one Simona Halep and Karolina Pliskova on her way to the title.

Then just days later, she defeated her childhood hero Serena Williams in Miami.

“I used to feel a little bit stressed if I was to play a super great player in the first round,” said Osaka at Roland Garros on Friday.

“Now I’m the woman that many players probably don’t want to play against.”

“So it feels weird being seeded as I can feel the expectations.”

Osaka, the daughter of a Haitian father and Japanese mother, stands at 1.80m (5ft 11in) and boasts an equally impressive set of figures at the Slams.

She made the Australian Open fourth round this year and has reached the third round of Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open.

In New York last year, her former home city before decamping to Florida, she defeated former champion Angelique Kerber in the first round.

But it’s clay courts which have provided her with her greatest challenge — 12 months ago, she made a disappointing first-round exit in Paris.

This season on European clay, she fell in the first round in Madrid and at the second hurdle in Rome, beating Victoria Azarenka before losing to Halep.

“In Madrid, I played the match like a hard court. In Rome, I played too many cross-court shots and playing with patience against Halep is not ideal.

“At the end I just got frustrated.”

Osaka says she enjoys trying to bamboozle players who never know what to expect from her hard-hitting style.

“I like to rally and see how frustrated opponents become when I don’t make a mistake. Their coaches tell them I will make mistakes at some stage.”

Since the end of December, Osaka has been coached by Sascha Bajin, the former hitting partner of Williams, Azarenka and Caroline Wozniacki.

His influence was certainly there when she defeated Williams in Miami, such a seismic win that the great American hasn’t played since.

“It’s strange but beating Serena gave me more confidence than winning Indian Wells. I had wanted to play her for such a long time.

“It was a very special match. Now I feel I am getting better every day.”

Osaka will start her French Open campaign against Sofia Kenin of the United States.

With goals seemingly guaranteed in the Ukrainian capital, AFP Sports looks at the key matchups where the game could be won and lost.

Cristiano Ronaldo v Virgil van Dijk

Ronaldo is looking to join an esteemed group of 10 players to win five European Cups by scoring in his fourth separate final.

After a slow start to the season, the World Player of the Year has been in stunning form since the turn of the year, scoring 30 goals in 23 appearances for club and country in 2018.

Ronaldo leads the Champions League goalscorers charts for the sixth consecutive season with 15, but will come up against the world’s most expensive defender in £75 million ($100 million) Dutchman Virgil van Dijk in Kiev.

Van Dijk already looks worth the massive price Liverpool paid Southampton for his services in January, as much for the improvement he has inspired in those around him as his own performances.

“I feel also personally much more confident when you know you have a really good partner next to you,” said Liverpool centre-back Dejan Lovren.

“He’s a leader, he takes control,” added right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold. “He’s really got authority.”

Marcelo v Mohamed Salah

Salah has been the star turn of Liverpool’s season, scoring 44 goals in his debut season at Anfield to plunder a series of individual Player of the Year awards.

The Egyptian should get plenty of space to showcase his blistering pace and new-found calm in front of goal in the space normally left unoccupied by Madrid’s cavalier left-back Marcelo.

Salah exploited the gaps left by the Brazilian on numerous occasions when Roma were eliminated by Madrid from the Champions League two seasons ago, when Salah lacked the killer finishing touch he has demonstrated this season to take his chances.

Bayern Munich right-back Joshua Kimmich scored in both legs of this season’s semi-final against Real with Marcelo caught out of position.

However, the Madrid vice-captain, now in his 11th year at the Bernabeu, makes up for his defensive liabilities by bombing forward at every opportunity to wreak havoc at the other end.

“I know exactly how I have to play,” insisted Marcelo on Friday.

The flying full-back has scored against Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Bayern on route to the final, and also has plenty of positive experience in Champions League finals having netted in 2014 and 2016, in a penalty shootout, against Atletico Madrid.

Sergio Ramos v Roberto Firmino

Overshadowed by Salah’s sensational season, Firmino also has 10 Champions League goals to his name this season and is the key starting point for Jurgen Klopp’s pressing game.

“He’s not bothered about hard work, which is another important thing,” said Klopp when Firmino recently extended his contract to 2023. “For an offensive player that is pretty rare in world football.”

Described as a cross between a goalscoring number nine and creative number 10 by Brazil coach Tite, Liverpool will hope Firmino’s movement can drag another Madrid Champions League specialist in Ramos out of position.

Madrid captain Ramos embodies this Real side as he tends to save his best for the big occasion.

The Spaniard started Real’s recent run of European dominance with a stoppage time equaliser against Atletico in the 2014 final and also scored against Real’s local rivals two years later in another all-Madrid showpiece.

Kicker, 25, was found guilty of contriving the outcome of a match at the ATP Challenger event in Padova, Italy, in June 2015 and another match at the Baranquilla Challenger in Colombia in September that year.

He was also found guilty of failing to report a corrupt approach and of not co-operating with a TIU investigation into the allegations made against him.

“Having been found guilty of all charges, he will be sanctioned at a future date to be determined by Independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer (AHO) Jane Mulcahy,” said a TIU statement.

“Details of the decision on sanctions will be made public when received.”

Kicker is currently ranked at 84 in the world having reached a career high of 78 in June 2017.

He reached the third round of the Australian Open in January this year and the also the third round at the Indian Wells Masters.

The 22-year-old Thai seized the outright lead by one shot after totalling 11-under-par 133 at the highly-rated Suwan Golf and Country Club, a venue where he wrote a slice of history on the Asian Tour in 2010.

At the age of 14 years and 71 days, Jazz, then an amateur, became the youngest player ever to make the halfway cut on the Asian Tour. Eight years on, he is now a one-time winner on the region’s premier Tour following his breakthrough in Bangladesh last season.

Argentinean Miguel Carballo, who held a share of the overnight lead, posted a 69 to share second place with Thailand’s Thitiphun Chuayprakong (65), Chinnarat Phadungsil (67) and Jaturon Duangphaichoom (67) at the ฿3,000,000 (approx. US$96,000) event.

Starting from the 10th hole, Jazz reeled in three straight pars before stumbling with a double bogey on 13 for his only blemish of the day.

The talented Thai, however, bounced back brilliantly with three consecutive birdies to turn in 35 before adding three more birdies on his way home to stay atop the leaderboard.

“I was pretty angry after my double bogey on 13. My ball took an unlucky bounce and went into the water hazard. After that, I just told myself to keep to the plan as I knew the next hole was an easy par-five so I had to keep my cool.

“After I birdied the 15th hole, I managed to keep the momentum going. I made a massive 20-foot birdie putt on 16 and that really boosted my confidence going forward,” said Jazz.

Jazz, who is playing in his sixth tournament in a row, was thrilled to put himself in prime position for a first Asian Development Tour (ADT) victory. The young Thai had to overcome the jetlag that resulted from his long-haul flight from Belgium earlier in the week.

“I came here to play with no expectations in mind. I played on the European Tour in Belgium last week. I flew straight home and had to deal with the change in weather and the jetlag. I wanted to train myself to keep up my stamina with the travelling,” added the Thai.

Carballo, who has capped four top-10s on the ADT this season before going on to claim a top-five finish on the Asian Tour in China last week, traded five birdies against two bogeys to stay in the mix.

“I didn’t feel like I played well today because I was hitting it left and right and was making a lot of bad decisions. I took aggressive lines when I shouldn’t have and I got ahead of myself. But overall, I still held my game together and I am happy with what I shot today,” said the 39-year-old Carballo, a former player on the PGA Tour.

Thailand’s Thammanoon Sriroj and Danthai Boonma, both winners on the Asian Tour, returned with matching 66s to sit two shots off the pace in sixth place alongside local amateur Sadom Kaewkanjana and Hein Sithu of Myanmar.

ADT Order of Merit leader Nitithorn Thippong of Thailand signed for a second straight 68 to trail by four in tied-10th position while defending champion and countryman Tirawat Kaewsiribandit matched his efforts of the day to grab a share of 36th place on 140.

The halfway cut was set at three-under-par 141 with 63 players, including one local amateur, advancing into the weekend rounds.

The Betagro Championship, which is jointly sanctioned by the All Thailand Golf Tour and the ADT, is the ninth leg of the ADT’s 2018 schedule.

The leading five players on the ADT Order of Merit at the end of the season will earn playing rights on the Asian Tour for the 2019 season.

Ends.

Leading round two scores:

133 – Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) 65 68

134 – Thitiphun CHUAYPRAKONG (THA) 69 65, Miguel CARBALLO (ARG) 65 69, Chinnarat PHADUNGSIL (THA) 67 67, Jaturon DUANGPHAICHOOM (THA) 67 67

135 – Hein SITHU (MYN) 69 66, Thammanoon SRIROJ (THA) 69 66, Danthai BOONMA (THA) 69 66, Sadom KAEWKANJANA (A) (THA) 69 66

136 – Sattaya SUPUPRAMAI (THA) 70 66, Tawan PHONGPHUN (THA) 70 66, Meechok PHANTHARAK (THA) 69 67, Kevin LEE (KOR) 71 65, Nitithorn THIPPONG (THA) 68 68, Chapchai NIRAT (THA) 69 67, Kazuki HIGA (JPN) 68 68, Charng-Tai SUDSOM (THA) 67 69

137 – Nattawat SUVAJANAKORN (THA) 67 70, Chanachok DEJPIRATANAMONGKOL (THA) 67 70.

It seemed at times the Thais just couldn’t find the points – or the luck – to roll Poland over but with wing spiker Chatchu-On’s confidence growing, and with support from Ajcharaporn Kongyot (16 points), they seized control of the tie-breaker and just wouldn’t let go.

When a Chatchu-On kill sealed the deal, the Thais’ leapt into each others’ arms and danced without a care in the world.

The loss would have hurt for Poland’s superstar Malwina Smarzek, who again led all concerned on court with 38 points. The spiker has been in sensational form in Macao, and a fourth set-winner that threatened to bounce out of the stadium was just one of any number of personal highlights in an effort that included four blocks.

But the young Thai squad’s efforts in Macao this week have won over the crowd and coach Danai Sriwacharamaytakul had them looking at all times to stretch the Polish blockers – and avoid Smarzek. That meant the ball was flying everywhere.

The Poles were worried by that movement in the first set and by the fourth had seemingly no real idea how to cope other then look to Smarzek – and hope.

The Thais meanwhile kept moving and when Sriwacharamaytakul took a time out at 11-9 in the last set he called for calm, and his players stuttered but eventually they delivered.

The loss marked Poland’s first 0-2 run in world level major tournament matches since they lost five in a row at the 2014 FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix. They’ll be now hoping to stop the rot. Quickly.

But Thursday night was all about this young Thai squad, whose only two previous victories over Poland had come at the 2008 and 2009 World Grand Prix – both times over five sets. It was also the first time in history they had ever taken a first set of the Poles.

The Thais moved to 2-4 after two rounds with their second victory in the VNL overall while Poland are on the same mark. Thais are at 12th in the standing.

Jokanovic’s side hope to end their four-year exile from the top-flight, while Villa are looking to get back to among the elite two seasons after their relegation.

Whoever wins at Wembley on Saturday will bank a huge financial windfall, with the rise in revenue estimated at least £160 million across the next three seasons, which could rise to in excess of £280 million if they retain their Premier League status.

Reflecting the thirst for fame and fortune provided by success in English football, Fulham are controlled by American tycoon Shadid Khan and Villa by Chinese businessman Tony Xia.

But while the owners might be counting the cash, for players and fans it is the pride of competing with the best that offers the biggest incentive this weekend.

Fulham missed out on automatic promotion on the final day of the regular season despite a 23-match unbeaten run, but they bounced back to see off Derby in the play-off semi-finals.

Now Jokanovic is urging his players to finish the job as Fulham make their first appearance at Wembley since losing the 1975 FA Cup final against West Ham.

“I arrived here two and a half years ago fighting against relegation, we must try and make great steps, we have a great opportunity to bring this club back,” Jokanovic said.

“We are now at the front of an important chance. We are going to follow our style and be confident we will cross the line.

“There is a huge job ahead of myself. It is an opportunity for a side to be part of the best league in the world.

“That is a big motivation for us. Behind us is one great season but we can’t think about past games.

“We have one opportunity to cross the magic line. We are ready for everything.”

– Fear of failure –

No manager has won more promotions to the Premier League than Villa’s Steve Bruce, whose team is littered with players who have experience at the highest level, including former Chelsea and England defender John Terry.

In contrast, Fulham, who finished five points above Villa, are a young team driven by the precocious talent of 18-year-old wing-back Ryan Sessegnon.

“Villa have players who have experienced playing in this stadium,” said former Chelsea midfielder Jokanovic, who led Watford to promotion from the Championship in 2015.

“We are the youngest team, one with more energy, we believe in our style, we believe we can dominate the situation, we believe we can score the goals.”

Bruce was more cautious than Jokanovic, saying: “How can you call it? Fulham are favourites? They’re always wrong the bookies!

“It will be close. We are all looking forward to it.”

Villa were a consistent presence in the play-off places in the second half of the season and saw off Middlesbrough in the semi-finals.

Given his club’s size and history, Robert Snodgrass, who played in Hull’s Championship final victory against Sheffield Wednesday in 2016, believes a fear of failure could be a valuable motivating factor for Villa.

“I know some of the other lads have experienced it as well. That’s beauty of the play-offs, it’s the fear of losing that drives you forwards,” the Villa midfielder said.

“Everybody wants to be on the good end, the club have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to get back there.

“It’s very rare you get a second chance to get to your final destination.

“We fell short in the automatic places, we know now there’s no room for error.”

Moriya, who had notched 11 top-10 finishes in 2017 before finally breaking through for her first win at the LA Open, missed just one fairway and hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation as she tied her low first-round score of 2018.

She was joined atop the leaderboard by Germany’s Caroline Masson and Americans Danielle Kang and Amy Olson.

“I feel is more relaxed now, and of course I like looking forward for my next one,” Moriya said of vying for a second career title.

“But I just want to set it as a goal and go back to what I have to do every day, every shot, and I think, it’s just more like starting over again.”

Moriya, whose younger sister Ariya won the weather-hit Kingsmill Championship on Sunday, said she’s been working hard on a simple, committed approach to her game.

“Pretty much you just hit the shot, go find the ball, hit another shot,” she said. “If you don’t make (the) putt, just go hit another putt.

“I had a lot of fun out there.”

Ariya meanwhile opened with a 69 after hitting six birdies against a double bogey and two bogeys.

Masson emerged with a share of the lead after an eventful round that included six birdies, an eagle and two bogeys.

She said improved putting was the key.

“I played well last week, and my ball-striking was really good and I was struggling a little bit with the putts. Just changed a couple things with my coach earlier this week and it seemed to work,” she said.

“So it was just nice to see a couple go in and played pretty solid overall.”

Masson and Moriya played in the same group. They teed off on 10 and both said they fed off the birdies that abounded.

Masson, seeking her first LPGA win since 2016, eagled the par-five 14th, where she rolled in a 30-footer.

“That was kind of the first really nice putt that I made today,” she said. “Sometimes it can really get you into a really good round, so it was fun to play like that.”

Kang, like Moriya, had six birdies without a bogey and Olson had seven birdies with just one bogey.

Japanese teenager Nasa Hataoka, who finished runner to Ariya in a playoff at the Kingsmill Championship, was among a group of seven players one shot off the pace on a crowded leaderboard.

She was joined by Australian Minjee Lee, England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Americans Megan Khang, Jessica Korda, Lindy Duncan and Morgan Pressel.

Another half a dozen players were a further stroke back on 68.

Defending champion Feng Shanshan, seeking her first title of 2018, endured a tough bogey-bogey finish that dropped her to a tie for 104th, two-over par and eight shots off the lead.