Mohamed Salah admitted he would rather face Real Madrid than Manchester City in Paris in order to take revenge for Liverpool’s 3-1 loss to the Spanish side in 2018 final in Kiev.
Salah left the field in tears when he was forced off with a shoulder injury in the first half of that game and said he would relish the opportunity to face Madrid again.
“I want to play Madrid, I have to be honest,” Salah told BT Sport.
“City is a really tough team. We played against them a few times this season.”
But I think, if you ask me personally, I prefer Madrid, because we lost in the final [to them], so I want to play against them and hopefully we will win it.”
Salah, who provided the assist for Fabinho’s crucial goal early in the second half against Villarreal, felt Liverpool’s comeback in Spain underlined their strong mentality.
Neil Mellor reflects on Liverpool’s 5-2 aggregate win over Villarreal that sees them reach their third Champions League final in five years
“It was tough in the first half but then we went to the dressing room. The gaffer talked and we talked to each other as well.
That shows character and personality in the dressing room. It shows that we are a top team. That’s why we can strike back after losing 2-0 in the first half. I think it makes the win more exciting.”
Asked if he is motivated by the possibility of winning the Quadruple, he added: “For sure. Maybe not at the beginning of the season because I always focus on the Premier League and the Champions League but now we are close for everything, so why not?”