Who will be crowned Club World Champions 2019?
38 years on from their Intercontinental Cup Final clash in Tokyo, Liverpool and Flamengo meet again.
That day, three first half goals saw the Brazilian side take the title.
Liverpool have never won an intercontinental competition and, in fact, they’ve never beaten South American opposition in three previous attempts.
Will Jürgen Klopp’s side make history or will it be carnival time for the side from Rio de Janeiro?
Liverpool vs Flamengo: Who will win?
Liverpool are odds on favourites at 3/5 to win this match in normal time.
Thus, Flamengo are 17/4 to win in 90 minutes.
A draw, which would force extra time, is 3/1.
Either team to win in extra time is 11/2.
Either team to win on penalties is 6/1.
Over 2.5 goals is 8/13.
Both teams to score is 4/6.
Liverpool to win and both teams to score is 2/1.
The Red are 2/7 to lift the trophy; Rubro-Negro to be World Champions is 5/2.
Mohamed Salah, as always, will be a threat. The Egyptian is 10/3 to open the scoring and 11/10 to score anytime.
Sadio Mané meanwhile is also likely to start. He is 4/1 to score first and 11/8 to score anytime.
Gabriel Barbosa will be Flamengo’s biggest threat. Gabigol is 6/1 to score first and 21/10 to add to his ridiculous tally for the club.
Giorgian de Arrascaeta scored the vital equaliser on Tuesday. He is 9/1 to break the deadlock and 10/3 to score again.
Both Mané and Salah to score is 9/2.
Both Naby Keïta and Roberto Firmino to score is 14/1.
Both de Arrascaeta and Barbosa to score is also 14/1.
Both Éverton Ribeiro and Bruno Henrique to score is 40/1.
Another very late win for Liverpool; it’s becoming their trademark.
On Wednesday, they took on CONCACAF Champions League winner and Mexico’s in form team Monterrey.
With 12 minutes on the clock, it looked as though it could be a walk in the park for Jürgen Klopp’s side.
They made the break-through when Mo Salah played in Naby Keïta who finished emphatically.
However, less than two minutes later, despite a good save from Alisson, the underdogs equalised through Rogelio Funes Mori.
The subsequent 70 minutes or so was very even with neither side really creating any clear cut chances.
Until, in the 91st minute, two substitutes combined.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s fantastic cross picked out Roberto Firmino who guided home a dramatic winner.
2-1 it finished in Doha.
That was Liverpool’s 22nd win of the season already, ten of which have been by just a single goal margin.
They’ve also now scored seven outcome changing goals in the 80th minute or later.
So, can the Reds add yet another piece of silverware?
This season, they lost the Community Shield on penalties but won the UEFA Super Cup in a shootout just ten days later.
They’re currently ten points clear of second placed Leicester City in the Premier League; that is the trophy they want more than any other.
First though, a chance to make history.
Despite the fact Liverpool have won 61 major honours in their illustrious history, more than any other English club, they have never won this competition.
Manchester United are currently the only British club to have been crowned world Champions.
Will Liverpool officially be the best team on the planet with a victory at Khalifa International Stadium?
Will Flamengo defeat Liverpool again?
Flamengo too did not get here the easy way.
They took on Saudi Arabian side Al Halil in their semi-final on Tuesday and were big favourites.
However, that certainly did not look the case in the first half.
The AFC Champions League winners dominated the opening 45 and took a deserved lead through Salem Al-Dawsari.
Nevertheless, whatever Jorge Jesus said at half time did the trick.
As, just four minutes after the interval, Giorgian De Arrascaeta finished off a well-worked team move to equalise.
Then, with about ten minutes to play, Rafinha’s pin-point cross picked out Bruno Henrique who nodded in.
The turn-around was complete.
Then, just moments later, Henrique’s cross deflected in off the unfortunate Ali Al-Bulaihi for an own goal.
3-1 it finished as Flamengo book their place in the final.
Now, can they round off a dramatic and memorable year?
Already in 2019, they won their first Brasileiro Série A title for ten years, finishing 16 points clear of runners-up Santos.
Also, they won the Campeonato Carioca, beating rivals Vasco da Gama 2-0 in the final.
But, their most amazing moment came as recently as last month.
On 23 November, they met reigning champions River Plate in the Copa Libertadores Final in Lima.
However, it was the Argentine side who led and were 1-0 in front until the 89th minute.
That’s when Gabriel Barbosa struck not once, but twice in three stoppage time minutes to bring the famous old trophy back to Rio.
Their first South American title since 1981, the same year they also beat Liverpool to claim the Intercontinental Cup.
They are most certainly one of the best teams South America has produced for years but can they topple their European opponents?
Liverpool team news vs Flamengo
It is very safe to say Liverpool are not at full strength coming into this final.
Goalkeeper Alisson could be busy, just as he was in the semi-final.
In that game, James Milner and captain Jordan Henderson had to make up a very make-shift defence.
Trent Alexander-Arnold will return to the XI but there is definately no Dejan Lovren or Joël Matip.
Virgil van Dijk missed Wednesday’s match with illness and is unlikely to be risked for this one.
So Henderson could continue in the back line alongside Joe Gomez and Andy Robertson.
Youngsters Ki-Jana Hoever and Sepp van den Berg, who both played against Aston Villa on Tuesday, have since flown out to Qatar to add some depth.
With Fabinho injured and Georginio Wijnaldum a doubt, the midfield trio is likely to stay the same.
That means Adam Lallana will be the anchor with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keïta further forward.
The latter has scored three goals in his last three appearances for the club.
On Thursday morning, Liverpool announced the signing of attacking midfielder Takumi Minamino from RB Salzburg.
However, he’ll have to wait until the turn of the year to make his debut.
In attack, it’ll be interesting to see what Klopp does.
Xherdan Shaqiri and Divock Origi both started the semi-final and could well get the nod again.
The other place could be taken by Sadio Mané meaning Roberto Firmino would be on the bench once again and Mo Salah would also be rested.
Even with all the absentees, will Liverpool be too strong for Flamengo?
Flamengo team news vs Liverpool
As for Jorge Jesus’ side, they’ve had an extra day to prepare and have no injury concerns.
Former Valencia goalkeeper Diego Alves will be looking for his 18th clean sheet of the season.
His defence contains some familiar faces too, particularly at full-back.
Rafinha, formerly of Bayern Munich will start at right-back with former Atlético Madrid and Chelsea man Filipe Luís on the other side.
Rodrigo Caio and Pablo Marí are a very settled centre-back duo.
Amazingly, the latter became the first ever Spaniard to win the Copa Libertadores last month.
Ahead of them, Willian Arão will anchor the midfield in this 4-1-4-1 formation.
Further forward will be the same attacking quartet that started on Tuesday.
Captain Éverton Ribeiro, Gerson with goal-scorers Giorgian De Arrascaeta and Bruno Henrique.
Veteran Diego will be on the bench.
Up front, will be the phenomenon that is Gabriel Barbosa.
Gabigol scored just twice in 15 appearances for Inter and Benfica in European football.
However, at Flamengo this season, he’s netted 34 times in 42 matches including both in the Libertadores final.
Can Gabigol fire Flamengo to an historic triumph?
Clear your calendars, cancel your plans, do what you have to do
The 
21 December, 20:30 local time
Khalifa International Stadium, Doha
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