Jurgen Klopp leads his Liverpool side into battle on Saturday evening, looking to capture his second Champions League title with the club. After winning the domestic cups, a Champions League win would cap off a memorable season for the charismatic German coach.

Central to the success of Klopp this season has been the bond that he has formed with the squad and how his demeanour has been a positive for the side in critical moments. Take the two penalty shootouts against Chelsea in the League and FA Cup finals. Whilst Thomas Tuchel was busying himself organizing his team, Klopp was going around to players talking, cracking jokes and offering words of encouragement.

 It’s a stark change of tactic compared to his opposite number, and it could be the difference between Liverpool winning the Champions League for the seventh time. It wouldn’t be a surprise for many if the final in Paris was decided by penalty kicks, and Klopp’s relationship with the Liverpool squad could be the marginal gain needed for the Merseyside club.

As a club, Liverpool is on the right track and that has been down to the leadership of Klopp. Whilst the press have been preoccupied with quadruple talk, the Reds boss played it down and pushed away any pressure placed on his squad. Having recently inked a new two-year contract extension and that sense of stability will be crucial in potentially securing the long-term future of Mohamed Salah with the club.

With Klopp now tying his future to Liverpool, the club has a manager that could feasibly create a winning era akin to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. The influence of the German coach has increased in recent years, particularly with transfers and this has been shown with the smart recent accusations of Thiago and Luis Diaz, and this match of club and manager could be a long-lasting union.

So as Liverpool head into their crunch clash with Real Madrid in Paris, they certainly have a charismatic, and compassionate manager who has formed an ironclad bond with his squad, which could give Liverpool just the edge they need over their fated opponents.