Man Utd Icon Rio Ferdinand Concerned for Liverpool Ahead of Champions League Final

Former Manchester United captain Rio Ferdinand thinks Liverpool will struggle to contain Real Madrid marksman Cristiano Ronaldo in Saturday's Champions League

Former Manchester United captain Rio Ferdinand thinks Liverpool will struggle to contain Real Madrid marksman Cristiano Ronaldo in Saturday's Champions League final.

Ronaldo has been in scintillating form in Europe's elite competition this year, hitting 15 goals in Real Madrid's run to the final, and Liverpool face a tough task of containing him if they are to win the iconic trophy for the first time in 13 years.

Cristiano Ronaldo has now scored 450 goals for Real Madrid across all competitions.

This is his 437th game. 😱 pic.twitter.com/m7nA4PF8xF

— Squawka (@Squawka) May 19, 2018

Ferdinand was asked on Alan Brazil's Sport Breakfast show on talkSPORT what Liverpool can do to keep the forward quiet, and said, as quoted by the Daily Star: "What? Other than foul him?

“I saw a thing the other day, just check this stat out because it tells you how good this guy is: in eight seasons, continuous, he has scored 50 plus goals.

“There are strikers who struggle to do that in Sunday football but he’s doing that at the top level."

Clive Mason/GettyImages

Ferdinand, who played with Ronaldo for six years at United, added: “That just tells you who you’re dealing with and what you’re up against as a Liverpool player.”

But while Ronaldo looks set to finish as the competition's top scorer, the next three highest totals are held by Liverpool players; with Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane hitting 29 goals between them in this season's Champions League.

And Liverpool, who finished fourth in the Premier League and have been the surprise package of the Champions League this campaign, will be relying on the firepower provided by their front three if they are to offset the threat posed by Ronaldo and co and claim the trophy for a historic sixth time.