Jamie Carragher reserved special praise for Liverpool duo Virgil van Dijk and Alisson (Picture: Getty)

Jamie Carragher has heaped praise on Virgil van Dijk and Alisson and says the pair ‘made the difference’ for Liverpool in the Champions League final victory over Tottenham.

An early Mohamed Salah penalty and a late Divock Origi strike saw Liverpool clinch their sixth victory in the competition in Madrid on Saturday night.

Liverpool, who finished second in the Premier League on 96 points, were far from at their best against Spurs but came out on top to secure Jurgen Klopp’s first trophy as Reds boss.

And Liverpool legend and former captain Carragher believes Van Dijk and Alisson were the difference between the two teams in the Champions League final.




He told Sky Sports: ‘[Van Dijk and Alisson] made the big difference between the teams really. I love Tottenham and the job Mauricio Pochettino has done is brilliant.

‘I think for the last eight or nine years, Spurs have finished above Liverpool in the league.

‘The difference is that Liverpool have got the ability to go and change that by buying a goalkeeper for a world-record fee and the best centre-back in the world.

‘Tottenham haven’t got that, they haven’t bought a player for nearly two years so that just shows the job Pochettino has done.

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‘That was the difference last night in Liverpool winning that trophy and Spurs not because you need those players that will make the difference and they showed it again last night.’

Carragher also expressed his delight for club captain Jordan Henderson and Mohamed Salah, who suffered an injury in last year’s final.

‘It’s fantastic for him,’ Carragher said of Henderson. ‘At times, he splits the Liverpool fans, which I think is very unfair, but now he’s a European champion.

‘One of the greatest images of last night is not just Jordan lifting the cup, but seeing him with his dad at the side of the pitch.

Liverpool won the Champions League for a sixth time (Picture: Getty)

‘I know his dad quite well and what they’ve been through together, it is a great way for him to end the season having that great moment with his dad.

‘It was a massive blow for Liverpool last season (losing Salah, who went off injured after half an hour against Real Madrid).

‘I think they would have coped better if they lost Salah or Sadio Mane in the opening moments of the game like last year.

‘Liverpool didn’t have the squad and that’s why the signings they made in the summer made that big difference. It meant that they could go one step further.

‘I’m delighted for Salah. He’s had another great season, a lot of people have questioned him at times, but he was never going to have the season he had last season.

‘He was still the top scorer in the Premier League and scored in a Champions League final so he’s done alright.’

Liverpool will hope to replicate Real Madrid by reaching three successive Champions League finals next season.



And Jose Mourinho said: ‘Real Madrid won three, why Liverpool with this good team, with this good spirit, the club, the manager, the players, the fans… why not a third?’

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