FIFA Club World Cup
Result: Liverpool 1-0 Flamengo
Date: 21 December 2019
Venue: Khalifa International Stadium
After clinching the UEFA Champions League last season, Liverpool have now been crowned FIFA Club World Cup champions for the first time in their history after defeating Flamengo on Saturday night.
Jurgen Klopp recalled his first-team regulars after giving some of the fringe players a chance in the semi-final, with Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino joining Mohamed Salah in the attack.
The Reds took control from the early stages and were quite happy to play at a slower tempo, altough that resulted in a lack of clear cut chances in the final third.
That was unfortunately the trend for the remainder of the first half, although the South American champions did see a bit more of the ball in the latter stages of the stanza.
It was no surprise that the second half got off to a lively start as Jordan Henderson fed Firmino, who saw his attempted lob crash of the frame of the goal two minutes into the stanza.
Flamengo went close to pulling ahead on 53 minutes as poor pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold played in Barbosa, who saw his low strike turned away by Reds stopper Alisson Becker.
Reds manager Jurgen Klopp was forced to re-shuffle his pack with 15 minutes remaining in the second half as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain suffered a knock. He was replaced by Adam Lallana.
Liverpool thought they had earned themselves a penalty when Sadio Mane was brought down by Vitinho, but after a review from the Video Assistant Referee, a free-kick was awarded instead.
The game went to extra-time, where the Reds managed to break the deadlock nine minutes in as Mane spotted the run of Firmino, who kept his cool to slot into an empty net.
The Premier League leaders were able to see out the rest of the extra-time and silence the Brazilians to claim their first-ever Club World Cup title.
