OPINION
Liverpool fans are used to striker Roberto Firmino blowing everyone away with his brilliant skill and sublime final touch.
There is a reason why the 27-year-old has been leading the line for the Reds for a while now. He is a constant threat whenever he is on the pitch, and at some times, he is just completely unplayable.
This is why he has been selected to represent Brazil recently. His performances have rightly caught the eye of the manager, and this was certainly the case when they took on Panama in Porto on Saturday night. It may have ended 1-1, but the impact Firmino made was undeniable.
Although many Liverpool fans will surely be baffled over why he was taken off after 60 minutes to be replaced by Gabriel Jesus. There is no mistaking the Manchester City player’s ability, it is just puzzling to see why he was taken off despite not really doing anything wrong.
Yes, he did miss a sitter from five yards out, but that is not enough to taint what was an overall fantastic performance from the Reds frontman. His fabulous pass to Lucas Paqueta almost resulted in a goal, and his overall work rate was at his usual high standard.
In fact Firmino oozed class.
So what exactly prompted the Brazil boss to take him off? The dazzler did not really do anything wrong so you feel he was brought off to save him for another day.
Many Reds supporters no doubt witnessed Firmino play yesterday, and they were no doubt thrilled with what they saw of their striker. His display did not warrant any concerns about his club form, nor did it warrant any worries about injury.
