Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk says the “pain” of losing last season’s Champions League final is driving him and his team-mates as they prepare to face Tottenham on Saturday.
Jurgen Klopp’s side were beaten 3-1 by Real Madrid in the 2018 showpiece.
Gareth Bale scored a stunner for the Spaniards, while keeper Loris Karius was at fault for two Real goals.
“I took a lot of experience from it; hopefully I can use that,” Dutchman Van Dijk told BBC Sport.
“Losing a final is painful.”
Liverpool are looking to be crowned champions of Europe for a sixth time when they face Spurs in an all-Premier League final at Madrid’s Wanda Metropolitano (20:00 BST kick-off).
Van Dijk is hoping to win his first trophy with an English club, having moved to Anfield from Southampton in January 2018 for £75m, a world record fee for a defender.
Liverpool, runners-up in the Premier League, finished 26 points above Tottenham, having beaten them 2-1 both home and away.
Yet Van Dijk knows league form will count for nothing when the teams meet in Spain’s capital.
“People can say whatever they want, that we had a better season than them in the league,” said the 27-year-old.
“That was maybe true, but anything can happen. The final is one game.
