The three unlikely Liverpool stars that inspired Champions League glory


After a Champions League final lacking star quality, while the somewhat abject performances from some of the big names of Liverpool and Tottenham left many a neutral disappointed, as far as the Reds are concerned this hasn’t been a campaign in which they favoured front three have shone in Europe.

While there have of course been moments of magic from the likes of Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane - most notably the latter in Munich - the trio haven’t excelled in the competition to the same tune as last season. On route to the final in 2017/18 all three scored ten times in the Champions League, while this season they mustered a modest 13 combined.

Instead there were three less heralded stars that stepped up to help exorcise the demons of Kyiv.

The most obvious was also the most surprising, with Divock Origi scoring the crucial goals that booked Liverpool’s place in the final in a match against Barcelona that will go down in history. The Belgian then provided the one moment of real quality from the bench in Madrid to put the trophy beyond Tottenham’s reach. It was the 24-year-old’s third shot in the tournament and third goal providing the lethal finish where his more esteemed teammates had failed.

Meanwhile, though it was yet another dominant display in the final from surely the undoubted best defender in Europe in Virgil van Dijk, his unheralded centre-back partner was superb once more. Indeed, were it not for the sheer unavoidable brilliance of the Dutchman, Joel Matip would probably be in the same discussion among the best in his position this season.

While some may argue that it is Van Dijk’s influence that has made the Cameroonian look so assured it would be only fair to consider that particular theory in reverse too. Matip’s WhoScored.com rating of 7.96 was the best of any outfielder on the night and ensured that he ended the Reds’ Champions League campaign as their second highest rated player (7.12), just ahead of Van Dijk (7.08).

Leading the way over the course of Liverpool’s successful season in Europe, however, was Trent Alexander-Arnold and while the youngster certainly doesn’t go unnoticed in this sparkling side, few would have imagined he would have quite the impact he has.

 

 

It was the 20-year-old who ended the season as the team’s in form player after all, with a solid 7.21 rating in the final his lowest in nine appearances for the Reds. It was just the second game in ten that the right-back didn’t register an assist, and it was the one for the aforementioned Origi’s decisive goal over Barcelona that will live longest in the memory.

Were it not for the clarity of thought and invention of Alexander-Arnold to take a quick corner that caught all bar Origi off-guard, Liverpool may well not have been in Madrid. It was a moment of genius from a player that, at his tender age, proved to be the performer for a Champions League winning side.

Saturday’s final was yet another reminder that the team Jurgen Klopp has forged is exactly that. A team. There are players of unquestionable superiority, sure, but every member of Liverpool’s Champions League winning squad showed their value to ensure a remarkable season ended with the silverware that the club so clearly deserved.

The three unlikely Liverpool stars that inspired Champions League glory