After their last-gasp win against Monterrey, Liverpool are through to the final of the Club World Cup. With Copa Libertadores champions Flamengo up next, one key battle could decide the final outcome.
On the chalkboard
The Reds just about squeezed past the CONCACAF champions. Despite having less shots and less on target, the Anfield outfit prevailed 2-1 thanks to a 90th minute goal from substitute Roberto Firmino.
Flamengo, meanwhile, were more comfortable in their victory against Asian Champions League holders Al Hilal. They prevailed 3-1 in their respective semi-final, although they did fall 1-0 behind early on.
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It should be an interesting match-up against arguably the two best teams in the competition. And there is one key battle that could end up deciding the match.
Wijnaldum to have his work cut out
As it stands, Jurgen Klopp’s men are struggling with injuries. Fabinho had been a vital part of Liverpool’s midfield before picking up an issue against Napoli – he has been called the best defensive midfielder in the world already this season by Gary Neville (Sky Sports via Metro) – and that has meant that Jordan Henderson has had to take up his position.
However, against Monterrey, he needed to drop back to centre-back after Virgil van Dijk was unable to feature. His absence follows Joel Matip’s and Dejan Lovren’s, both of whom have been unable to travel to Qatar for the tournament.
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That leaves Liverpool light in the midfield of the park. It is unclear whether Liverpool will play in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation – Klopp has used both in recent weeks – but we should expect Georginio Wijnaldum to be in the first XI. The Netherlands international was declared fit enough to be on the bench on Wednesday, and so he should be ready to play from the start this weekend.
He will have the unenviable task of having to deal with Giorgian de Arrascaeta. Whilst Gabriel Barbosa may have picked up most of the headlines with his goalscoring feats this term – he has 34 goals in 41 matches in Brazil – it is the Uruguay international who pulls the strings in this team.
Flamengo lifted the Brasileirao earlier this year, and De Arrascaeta was arguably their best player. He managed 13 goals and 14 assists in just 22 starts – 17 of the latter in all competitions – with his 2.5 key passes per game only behind Everton Ribeiro and his 2.2 dribbles leading the way amongst his teammates. He also scored the equaliser in that match against Al Hilal.
Wijnaldum, meanwhile, is not having his best campaign. He has picked up an average WhoScored rating of just 6.86, for example. In this match, he will need to step up to the plate. His 1.1 tackles and 0.8 interceptions per match are the best in midfield after Fabinho and Henderson, meaning that he is best equipped to take up the more defensive role against Flamengo – especially with it looking as though the captain will need to slot into the back four once more.
The South American champions are an exciting team, no doubt, and there are plenty of players that Liverpool will need to keep an eye on. De Arrascaeta, though, is perhaps the most dangerous of the lot, and Wijnaldum will have his work cut out keeping him quiet.
In other news, Liverpool are said to be monitoring this Serie A man.
