2005 winner Didi Hamann on the Champions League final and football's hot topics

Who will win the Champions League final?

I fancy Liverpool to lift the trophy but I’m not sure they are any sort of value. The dangers of writing off Tottenham have been there for us to see all season long so I don’t think the Reds are shoo-ins by any means.

Spurs are a stubborn side and they will be confident given the form they have displayed in big games this season.

They went to Anfield at the end of the season and were unlucky to lose and they showed enormous heart and no little skill in seeing off Manchester City and Ajax against the odds to make it to Madrid.

I love what Mauricio Pochettino has brought to Tottenham and that’s why you need to think long and hard before dismissing them.

The other thing which slightly bothers me about Liverpool’s preparations for this game is the length of time between matches. It’s 20 days since Liverpool and Spurs last played and Pochettino appears to have kept his side training over that period, sustaining the intensity, and that’s important.

Liverpool, on the other hand, were given five days off and went all over the world before coming back to training and you can lose a lot of sharpness over a period like that.

In 2005 we only had ten days between our final league match and taking on Milan in Istanbul in the final and that was ideal. We had a day or two off and were then back at it – it hardly felt like a break. Three weeks is a long time and it will be interesting to see the reaction.

The bottom line is that at some point, a change is going to have to be made, a gamble taken and Jurgen Klopp has greater options available to him.

What’s your best bet in any market on the game?

A draw after 90 minutes. There really isn’t a great deal between these sides as we’ve seen in the league matches between them and in terms of self-belief, neither of them is lacking after what they pulled off in their respective semi-finals. There will be tension and a few nerves but I’m expecting a really entertaining contest which could maybe end 2-2.

Should Tottenham start with Harry Kane?

If he’s fit, they absolutely have to. You start with your best players available and he’s their best player. After a two-month layoff it will quite possibly be hard for him to get into the rhythm of the match but that’s going to be easier from the kick-off when everyone is adjusting than coming on after an hour and trying to make an instant impact. Anyway, the way he raced across the pitch in Amsterdam, he’s fit. And, therefore, he starts.

• The big Kane debate - Mark Langdon v Dan Sait

Who will win the Nations League?

I think Portugal will win their semi-final and with the extra day’s rest, home advantage and Cristiano Ronaldo determined to further embroider his legacy, they get my vote. I doubt it’s going to be a hugely competitive trio of matches because of the timing of them, but Portugal will have that extra incentive to do well in front of their own fans.

What’s your fancy for England v Holland on Thursday?

I’d probably say Holland. I like England and where they are going under Gareth Southgate but the English bookies are being pretty generous about a very good Dutch side, who are also benefiting from a rebuild. A lot of England’s players are in Madrid this weekend and they will struggle to go again just a few days after playing in a Champions League final.

How will Aston Villa do in the Premier League next season?

I’d be more inclined to take the 11-2 that they finish in the top half than the 5-2 that they go down. Villa is still a big name with clout, and even after a trying few years they are an attractive club to play for. It looks like Jack Grealish is staying and they can build a team around him. There is bags of potential, questions over several of their rivals and I give them a better chance of finishing between seventh and tenth than in the bottom three.

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