Jamie Carragher believes Jurgen Klopp is "lying" about who he wants Liverpool to face in the Champions League final and extended an offer to Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James to join him in Paris.
The Reds overcame a scare to defeat Villarreal 3-2 on Tuesday, securing a 5-2 aggregate triumph and punching their ticket to a 10th showpiece in Europe's premier tournament.
Liverpool were trailing 2-0 at half-time before second-half goals from Fabinho, Luis Diaz and Sadio Mane ensured they will meet Manchester City or Real Madrid in this month's final.
It means a remarkable quadruple is still on the cards, with Liverpool having already clinched the EFL Cup and still in the hunt for the Premier League title and FA Cup too.
Manager Klopp insisted he would have no preference over who he faced in the French capital, but former Reds defender Carragher reckons the German would secretly prefer to face newly crowned LaLiga champions Madrid.
"I think he's lying," Carragher said speaking as a pundit for CBS. "I am pretty certain he'd prefer Real Madrid."
Regardless of how many trophies Liverpool end up with this term, Klopp has cemented his status as a legend at Anfield and recently committed his future to the club until 2026.
Carragher thinks that was the right move and is not sure his coaching style would ever suit Barcelona or Madrid, clubs he has in the past been linked with.
He added: "There's lots of great clubs but not another one that suits Jurgen Klopp. Liverpool are not an underdog by any means, they are one of the biggest clubs out there but that thing of when he was at Dortmund and they were fighting against Bayern with no funds, and the same sort of thing against maybe Manchester United and Manchester City in the Premier League.
"I couldn't see him managing a Real Madrid or a Barcelona, I don't think it would suit his style of management.
"I think he needs the intensity of the crowd and that togetherness. He is already and, who knows what Liverpool will have won in four years' time, he is going to be remembered as one of the greatest managers in Liverpool's history and one of the greatest figures in Liverpool's history right up there with the great managers."
Plenty of Liverpool fans will flock to Paris for the final and one particularly famous supporter could be headed to France in the form of NBA great James, who owns a small stake in the club.
And Carragher had an invitation for the four-time NBA champion, who had Tweeted to say: "PARIS HERE WE COME!!!!!!!! @LFC!"
"LeBron, if you want to come to Paris you can join me, and the CBS team, and you can be my guest pitchside," he added.
"I want you next to us in Paris to give us the support that we need to win that seventh European Cup. Come and join us, big man!"
Portland Timbers v LA Galaxy: Vanney impressed by confidence in attacking ranks
LA Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney has praised his attacking players' confidence and hopes they can build on it against Portland Timbers on Wednesday.
The Galaxy came from 2-0 down with a superb second-half comeback against rivals Los Angeles FC last time out, winning 4-2 to go seven points clear in the Western Conference.
They have lost just one of their last five MLS matches, but that did come in their last away match, a 2-1 defeat to St. Louis City.
However, Vanney insisted his team can find the balance they need at both ends of the field to get another win.
"This team is built to attack, especially if you look at the guys we have on the field," Vanney said.
"We have some high-quality attacking guys. Over the course of the year, we've grown a ton of confidence to score goals and finish chances, but it comes down to the balance of being able to do that and being able to defend by not giving up things."
They face a Portland team coming off the back of a disappointing 2-1 loss to Colorado Rapids at the weekend, leaving them eighth in the table.
The Timbers have won just one of their last four league outings, though that did come at home against Seattle Sounders.
Head coach Phil Neville was disappointed by the weekend's defeat but admitted it would be quickly put behind them.
"At this stage of the season, you can't dwell on [losses]," Neville said.
"We can be frustrated and disappointed, the players are as well, but the game plan was there [against Colorado], we didn't execute it.
"But now it's back to Providence Park on Wednesday which will be an amazing game in an amazing atmosphere."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Portland Timbers – Evander
Evander has recorded an assist in eight consecutive home matches, equalling the MLS record set by Eric Wynalda in 1996-97.
Evander's nine straight matches overall with a goal contribution equals the Timbers' club record set by Diego Valeri in 2017.
LA Galaxy – Riqui Puig
Riqui Puig starred for the Galaxy in the derby against LAFC, scoring once and getting two assists. He is the third player to reach double-figure goals for LA Galaxy in the 2024 regular season (10, behind Dejan Joveljic on 14 and Gabriel Pec on 11).
This is the fourth time the Galaxy have had three different players score 10 goals in a season (1998, 2014, 2018), tied for the most such seasons in MLS history (San Jose Earthquakes).
MATCH PREDICTION: PORTLAND TIMBERS WIN
Portland are unbeaten in 11 straight home matches in all competitions, winning nine of them (D2). This is the Timbers' longest home unbeaten run across all competitions since a 12-match stretch from April to July 2018.
However, the Galaxy are unbeaten in seven straight regular-season matches against Portland (W4 D3), including a 3-2 home win on July 20. The only longer unbeaten run against the Timbers in regular season play was an eight-match streak by Real Salt Lake from 2011-14.
The Galaxy have already won at Vancouver and drawn at Seattle this season. LA has avoided defeat in away matches against all three Cascadia clubs in a single season twice before, doing so in 2014 and 2016, but they are not the favourites to win here.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Portland Timbers – 45.2%
Draw – 26.9%
LA Galaxy – 28%
Players 'close' to striking over fixture congestion, warns Rodri
Players could go on strike over the amount of games they are required to play, Rodri warned on the eve of Manchester City's Champions League opener versus Inter.
The 2024-25 edition of the Champions League will be the first to use a new format featuring 36 teams, with each side now required to play eight group-stage games, rather than six.
Meanwhile, City will be one of 32 teams to take part in FIFA's expanded Club World Cup at the end of the season, a tournament that has drawn stern criticism from many within the game.
City navigated 61 games when winning the treble two seasons ago but could be set for a far more rigorous schedule this term, leaving Rodri to warn a players' strike could lie ahead.
"I think we're close to that [striking]," Rodri told reporters. "It's the general opinion of the players, and if it keeps this way, we'll have no other option.
"I really think it's something that worries us. We are the guys who suffer."
The optimal number of games "in which a player can perform at the highest level," the Spaniard added, is "between 40 and 50".
"After that, you drop because it's impossible to sustain the physical level," he added. "This year, we're going to go until 70, maybe 80, depends on how far you go into competitions.
"I think it's too much. We have to take care of ourselves, because we are the main characters of this sport or business.
"Not everything is money or marketing, it is also the quality of the show. When I rest, when I'm not tired, I perform better. And if people want to see better football, we need to rest."
Last season, the 28-year-old's campaign extended through to Spain's Euro 2024 final victory on July 14, as did those of City team-mates Kyle Walker, John Stones and Phil Foden, who finished as runners-up with England.
City defender Manuel Akanji recently joked he may have to retire at 30 because of the gruelling schedule.
"It's so tough," the defender said. "You don't just think about this season, but also next season.
"Let's say we win the league or cup, then go to the final of the Club World Cup; the Community Shield is three weeks after. When do we have holidays?"
On Wednesday, City host Inter in a repeat of the 2023 Champions League final, won by the English side courtesy of Rodri's strike.
City forward Erling Haaland is eyeing a piece of history as he could overtake Cristiano Ronaldo as the fastest player to reach 100 goals for a single club, having scored 99 goals in 103 appearances in all competitions, including nine in four league games this season. Ronaldo netted 100 in his first 105 matches for Real Madrid.
"I played for 11 years and scored 11 goals. This guy, in four games he's scored nine," boss Pep Guardiola said with a laugh.
"The opponents will find a solution, and we have to find a solution to beat them, to find a way."
Ronaldo can reach 1,000-goal milestone before retirement - Jorge Andrade
Cristiano Ronaldo is capable of reaching 1,000 career goals as long as he continues to look after his body, according to Jorge Andrade.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner netted his 900th goal for club and country in Portugal's 2-1 Nations League win over Croatia on 5 September.
Ronaldo then added to his tally with a late winner in the 2-1 victory over Scotland three days later, setting him on his way to reaching the four-figure milestone.
Former Portugal star Jorge Andrade, speaking at the Thinking Football Summit organised by Liga Portugal, backed his compatriot to do just that.
"With Cristiano Ronaldo, nothing is impossible," Andrade said to Stats Perform.
"Since we've watched football, the idea of the 1,000 goals is associated with our great idol, Pele.
"But nowadays, both Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have managed to overcome other idols, Diego Maradona and Pele.
"They managed to be the highlight of the football game in a short time. It's not surprising Ronaldo can break that record. He looks after his body.
"He has a history of very few injuries. In terms of the Portuguese national team and the league he is in, he manages his efforts well."
Ronaldo has scored 132 of his goals for Portugal, with whom he won Euro 2016, while the other 769 have come at club level.
The 39-year-old has scored 68 times for current club Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, where he has spent the past 20 months.
While Ronaldo continues to score freely in the Middle East, long-time rival Messi is now plying his trade in the United States with Inter Miami.
Andrade, best remembered for his time at Deportivo during his playing career, believes both deserve credit for taking on challenges elsewhere.
"The most important thing for them is that they share the experiences they have even in adverse environments," he said.
"For example, Messi now plays in MLS. It's a difficult league; it's a league that doesn't have much visibility.
"He managed to be there and increase visibility. Cristiano Ronaldo went to Saudi Arabia and it's a complicated environment.
"He increased the visibility of that championship, making it attractive for other players to play who had just the five major leagues as the main goal to play.
"In other words, these two players have changed the world of football."
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