Alisson Becker shone as Jurgen Klopp’s Premier League leaders Liverpool set up a Club World Cup clash wtih Copa Libertadores winners Flamengo.
Monterrey coach Antonio Mohamed has paid tribute to Alisson Becker after the Liverpool goalkeeper produced a virtuoso performance in the World Club Cup semi-final in Qatar, speaking to the club’s official website.
Jurgen Klopp’s European champions were expected to comfortably roll over their Mexican opponents to set up a deciding clash with Copa Libertadores winners Flamengo on Saturday but, clearly, an aggressive and combative Monterrey side hadn’t read the script.
It took a stoppage time goal from substitute Roberto Firmino to seal a hard-fought 2-1 win for Liverpool after Rogelio Funes Mori (twin brother of former Everton defender Ramiro) had cancelled out Naby Keita’s well-worked opener.
And if it wasn’t for Alisson, who made five saves across 90 minutes and a number of other vital interventions, Liverpool might only have a rather pointless third-placed play-off to look forward to this weekend.
“We played a great game, I am very proud of how they represented me. In general, we had the clearest opportunities. The goalkeeper (Alisson) made four or five important saves,” said the fiery Mohamed, who singled out an excellent second half stop from a Dorlan Pabon set-piece.
“Alisson saved an incredible free kick from Pabon.”
Put short, it was the sort of match-winning display which reminds everyone why Liverpool invested £67 million into a former Roma goalkeeper in the summer of 2018.
Alisson, the Brazil number one, is arguably the best shot-stopper in the world right now and he looks set to add a Premier League winners’ medal to his Champions League triumph in 2020.
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