Qatar hero
Firmino scores late, late winner as Reds scramble through to Club World Cup final
There was a moment in the Khalifa Stadium last night when Jurgen Klopp probably wished he had gone to Villa Park instead.
Liverpool were struggling, his line-up was unrecognisable from European champions and the Monterrey coach, Antonio Mohamed – calling for Joe Gomez to be sent off – decided to mimic a gangster from
Narcos, gesticulating to the Liverpool manager to compare the size of their cojones.
Klopp, increasingly frustrated by the combination of time-wasting, play-acting and all-around disruption from a Mexican side more competitive than imagined, was happy to accept the challenge. The referee saw fit to book both managers to ensure no peace envoy would be required in the Middle East.
So Klopp used the most meaningful retaliation available. He sent on his cavalry: Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Trent Alexanderarnold; and the latter duo combined for the Brazilian’s added-time winner. Liverpool are in the Fifa World Club Cup final again.
They will face South Americans Flamengo in the final, although they had their other Brazilian, Alisson, to thank for avoiding the indignity of going out of two competitions within 24 hours, the goalkeeper busier than anticipated but underlining his world-class status.
There were mitigating circumstances for the toil, Liverpool bereft of key players and stricken before kick-off. For those waiting patiently for a Joe Gomez/ Jordan Henderson centre-back pairing, it was their lucky day. Illness deprived Klopp of Virgil van Dijk, so when the team sheet was printed, the question was how capable were the Mexicans of exposing Liverpool’s problems?
That would rapidly become apparent, especially from set-pieces. The confidence of the unfancied North American representatives soared as the game progressed. They were not facing the Liverpool who won the Champions League, nor indeed who have has won 16 of 17 league games. Not personnel wise, that is. The mentality and ability to find a way to win in demanding circumstances was exactly the same.
On top of the injury absentees, Klopp’s decision to start with Mane and Firmino on the bench made the contingency plan of using this week as a winter training camp before the Boxing Day trip to Leicester City appear smarter than thought. His side lacked tempo and cohesion for long periods.
At least Mohamed Salah’s inclusion was to the taste of the Qatari branch of Liverpool’s supporters club, stronger than might have been anticipated given the prominence of red jerseys in the arena.
“He was sensational given the attention on him in this region,” said Klopp. Each time the Egyptian collected the ball, a shrill cheer erupted, the like of which has more in common with a teenager’s reaction to Harry Styles.
They did not have to wait long to celebrate his contribution, Salah feeding Naby Keita for the opening goal on 12 minutes – a cutting pass for the Guinea midfielder to score his third goal in three games. Keita is starting to perform with more consistency and will add another dimension in the second half of the season if he can stay fit. At that stage, Klopp might have expected a comfortable evening. But his side were ahead for only two minutes, Liverpool failing to deal with a diagonal free-kick and Funes Mori tapping in after Alisson’s save from Jesus Gallardo.
That is Rogelio Funes Mori. The last time Liverpool faced a Funes Mori he was wearing an Everton jersey. Ramiro is best remembered by the Kop for inflicting damage on Divock Origi’s ankle in a Merseyside derby. His twin brother did his best to bruise trophy ambitions.
Alisson was the busier keeper,
Monterrey conceding possession and waiting for mistakes to counter. Beyond that, the Mexicans were quite happy to play down the clock.
But Klopp’s side never give up. They are becoming a freak as much as a force of nature, so when the ball fell to Alexander-arnold in the 91st minute, he predictably delivered and Firmino guided his side to victory. “I was afraid of extra time,” said Klopp. “So I was more than happy when Bobby scored the goal. You cannot plan a goal like this, but you cannot think it impossible.
“We had problems before the game and knew we would have problems during the game. Virgil could not train. He did not feel well yesterday and this morning. We will see how quick he can recover.”
The Monterrey coach could only join the ranks of those who felt they came close before succumbing to Klopp’s mentality monsters. His complaint about the official was unbecoming. “Maybe the Liverpool shirt has more weight so he [Gomez] was not sent off,” he said.
So concluded one of the most peculiar 24 hours in Liverpool history: two matches, 28 players, two cups and two continents. Kloppage time – so influential in the Premier League – evidently travels well.