da heads bet： In the end, Liverpool got the job done against Monterrey on Wednesday, but they did it the hard way.
da spicy bet： It took a 90th minute winner from substitute Roberto Firmino to send the Reds through to the final after Rogelio Funes Mori had cancelled out Naby Keita’s opener. The Anfield outfit will now face Copa Libertadores champions Flamengo on Saturday as they look to lift the trophy for the first time in their history.
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For this match, Jurgen Klopp rotated his team once again. Six changes were made to the side that had beaten Watford last week in the Premier League, with some players playing in unfamiliar positions. James Milner was deployed at right-back, whilst Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain found himself on the left wing instead of Sadio Mane, who was rested on the bench. Virgil van Dijk, too, was absent, albeit because of what appears to be some kind of niggle – he has been taking part in bespoke training sessions since landing in Qatar.
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In hindsight, it looks to have been the right decision as they squeaked through to the final, but it does seem peculiar as to why the 52-year-old decided to put out such a changed squad. Klopp clearly prioritised the Club World Cup over the League Cup – you only have to look at the XI that faced Aston Villa, the youngest in the club’s history, to see that – and so you would have thought he would be ready to put out his best side out after having travelled halfway across the world for the tournament.
He has been accused of disrespecting the League Cup with the team that took the field at Villa Park, but it is perhaps the Club World Cup that he has disrespected more. He clearly felt that a weaker side would be capable of beating the CONCACAF champions, and that they would be able to do so with ease – even with a number of players playing out of position. Monterrey, though, had more shots and more shots on target during the match. Had it not been for Alisson, the result may have been different.
Flamengo are up next, and they will provide an even sterner test with the likes of Gabriel Barbosa waiting to pounce. One can only hope that Klopp does not see that clash as another chance to rest players ahead of a return to England.
In other news, Liverpool fans react to talkSPORT host’s League Cup comments.