A Brazilian, Firmino, gave Liverpool the Club World Cup title in extra time, crushing Gabigol's Flamengo's dream of repeating their 1981 triumph against the Reds. A German, Juergen Klopp, led the English team to their second international triumph, having given them a taste of Champions League glory and looking forward to thrilling their fans with a return to Premier League success for the first time in 30 years. The Club World Cup final in Doha was decided only after 120 minutes of a tight and at times spectacular match, which Liverpool, the pre-match favorites, won thanks to their superior overall skill, but which was well-played, with an open game by the Cariocas, winners of the Copa Libertadores. Liverpool tried to make their presence felt right from the start, determined to surprise their opponents, and created a great chance with Firmino running into the attacking midfield, but the Brazilian fired over the crossbar in front of the goalkeeper. The Reds persisted and found two more good chances through Keita and Alexander-Arnold, while Flamengo struggled a bit and waited until the 21st minute to gain a lead with a combination between De Arrascaeta and Bruno Henrique. The Rossoneri striker led the charge, creating danger with runs down the left that disoriented Alexander-Arnold. It was Flamengo's best moment, and Van Dijk set up another attack from Bruno Henrique, who shortly afterward called for a penalty for handballing his header, but the referee let it go. In the 36th minute, a mistake by the Rio defense was ignored by Salah on the counterattack. The second half immediately sparked excitement. Firmino, one-on-one with Alves, managed a precise left-footed shot, but the ball hit the post. Salah had another chance, but in the 8th minute, Gabigol shook the Reds, and Alisson had to perform a miracle to turn away his diagonal shot. The Inter-owned striker made his presence felt again, but Alves had to save from Henderson's shot, clearing it from the top corner. The game remained undecided and went into extra time, with the final thrill coming from a VAR intervention that cleared Rafinha for a supposed penalty that the referee had called. Firmino's goal in the 8th minute was the result of a counterattack well managed by Mané and finished coolly by the Brazilian. The balance was broken, and Liverpool almost doubled their lead immediately before regaining control, but Lincoln saved them in the 119th minute, firing an easy ball high from close range. It was the last thrill before the Reds' celebration.
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