The emotional side of things is a key weapon for Liverpool

Liverpool's fans have done everything they can think of to get their hands on tickets for the Europa League final tonight: calling that friend of a friend who knows someone at the club, travelling to Seville to buy them from the opposition's supporters... Three men even stole tickets from the Premier League outfit's offices.

Since there isn't room for everyone inside the stadium, 9,000 of us will gather at the ECHO Arena in Liverpool to watch the game, amid a party atmosphere. Because it's by no means just another cup final: it's the one that confirms that everything has changed at Anfield and that it'll be the first of many from now on.

It doesn't take much to bring Reds fans round to that way of thinking: they believe their club belongs at the very top. But amongst all the excitement, their opponents have almost been forgotten. Opponents who are a better side, who have better individuals and who boast greater recent expertise in this occasion.

Sevilla may be the party gatecrashers, but the fact is that if it all came down purely to cold, hard football, they would be victorious. Where finals are concerned, however, passion and emotion also have a big part to play - and that's where Liverpool feel they have a decisive weapon. A trophy-winning one, at that.