Roberto Firmino was again the hero for Liverpool as the forward’s extra-time goal allowed JurgenportKlopp’s side to beat Flamengo 1-0 in the Club World Cup final in Doha on Saturday and lift the trophy for the first time.
Firmino was picked out by Sadio Mane and waited for goalkeeper Diego Alves to commit before slotting low into the net in the 99th minute of an absorbing contest at the Khalifa International Stadium.
It was the moment that finally punctured the hopes of the Brazilian side and their vibrant support after Liverpool had been denied a penalty by VAR at the end of normal time.
The Qatari referee initially gave a spot-kick for a foul on Mane by Rafinha on the way into the box, but changed his mind following a lengthy review, forcing the contest into an extra 30 minutes.
Still, the European champions had enough to come out on top, with Firmino repeating his semi-final heroics when he scored an injury-time goal to secure victory against Monterrey of Mexico. The win allows Liverpool to complete a fabulous year with the third piece of silverware to go with the Champions League and UEFA Supercup.
Having earned the title of world champions, if Klopp’s team can see out their huge lead at the top of the Premier League this season, they will have a case to be remembered as the finest side in the illustrious history of the club.
Flamengo had been hoping to repeat their win over Liverpool in the old Intercontinental Cup back in 1981 and thereby become the first non-European winners of the Club World Cup since fellow Brazilians Corinthians beat Chelsea in 2012.
They fell short, but they certainly gave the Premier League leaders a game in what was their last outing of a long season.
