Brazil’s World Cup squad landed on Merseyside late on Friday night ahead of their warm-up friendly with Croatia at Anfield .And it marked one of the first occasions Philippe Coutinho was back in Liverpool since his controversial January move to Barcelona.
Current Liverpool star Roberto Firmino was also part of the Brazilian squad, as was Alisson, the Roma goalkeeper admired by the club.The five-time world champions will meet Croatia on Sunday in preparation for the World Cup in Russia, which starts on June 14.
Less than 48 hours from kick off, Tite’s squad arrived at Runcorn train station having traveled down from London Euston earlier in the evening.It allowed supporters a glimpse of the club’s past, with Coutinho back in the city where he forged his reputation before sealing his £142 million move to Camp Nou midway through this season.
It also gave fans a chance to see 27-goal Firmino for the first time since Liverpool’s Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid in Kiev last week.
And the nation’s no.1 goalkeeper Alisson – who played at Anfield in Roma’s 5-2 Champions League semi-final defeat against the Reds in April – also touched down, with speculation continuing over his future.The 25-year-old is on the club’s wishlist but the Italians may be difficult to deal with.
Liverpool earlier this year informed Alisson’s representatives not to expect a bid this summer – although that could change over the coming weeks with Jurgen Klopp considering his options as he looked to overhaul the goalkeeping department.The trio – alongside the likes of Neymar, Fernandinho and Willian – will train today before facing Croatia ahead of the tournament later this month.