ReactionAlisson: A great achievement but now we want to win the UCL
Alisson Becker reacted to Liverpool’s advancement to the Champions League final by declaring: ‘We want the title.’
The Reds will return to European club football’s showpiece match for the third time in five years after defeating Villarreal 5-2 on aggregate in the last four.
A Champions League winner with Jürgen Klopp’s men in 2019, Alisson has his sights set on lifting Old Big Ears again in Paris on May 28.
“It’s massive,” he told Liverpoolfc.com of his emotions following the victory at Villarreal. “It’s so important for me, for everybody.
“It is a great achievement to reach a Champions League final because it’s one of the most difficult competitions to play. You play against the biggest teams in the world but we want more now. We want the title and we will fight for that.”
Villarreal 2-3 Liverpool: Highlights
Having already clinched the Carabao Cup and booked a place in the Emirates FA Cup final, Liverpool will play every game available to them this season.
They continue to tussle with Manchester City for the Premier League title too, of course, with a point separating the sides at the top of the table.
“We need now to celebrate a little bit. The moment – reaching a final – is a massive achievement,” continued Alisson.
“But when you taste something you want to taste it again and the taste of victory is amazing. We have to close this season with that because we work really hard every day, not only ourselves, not only the players but all the staff, all the people around the club.
“They work hard for us to give us the conditions that we need to play football and we’ll do that for them and for our fans as well.”
Things had threatened to go wrong for the Reds at Estadio de la Ceramica as first-half goals from Boulaye Dia and Francis Coquelin wiped out their advantage from the first leg.
But a composed and controlled performance after the interval turned the game around, with Fabinho, Luis Diaz and Sadio Mane netting in a 12-minute spell that sent Klopp’s charges to the final.
“We conceded two goals and the game was really complicated for us in the first half. We couldn’t react in the best way,” reflected Alisson.
“I think the half-time was really important for us to settle down the things and hear what the manager had to say to us, and to go into the second half and really try to find the solutions. We did that.
“Luis and all the players who came on really gave a huge contribution to that. Scoring three goals was amazing. The second half was a completely different game from the first half. It’s all on our attitude. We did that and it’s amazing.”