Chronicle Editor
LIVERPOOL boss Jurgen Klopp praised his players for “passing test after test” after they became Club World Cup champions for the first time by beating Flamengo in Qatar on Saturday.
Roberto Firmino scored the decisive goal in extra time to secure a 1-0 win at the Khalifa International Stadium.
It is the second trophy the Reds have won this season after they beat Chelsea to win the Uefa Super Cup in August.
“The boys dug in again and massively put in a performance,” said Klopp.
“They keep getting tested constantly – our life is like this. At the moment we pass test after test after test. We have to make sure we pass further tests as well.”
Victory was all the more impressive for Liverpool considering it has come in the middle of a busy December for the 2019 Champions League winners.
The Club World Cup clashed with Liverpool’s Carabao Cup quarter-final at Aston Villa, meaning they had to send separate teams to compete in the competitions.
A youthful Reds side lost that game 5-0 at Villa Park but the first team were able to add another trophy to the cabinet and they return to England with a 10-point lead at the top of the Premier League, as well as a game in hand over their rivals. — BBC Sport
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