Thiago Alcantara was the star of the show in the opening exchanges of the Liverpool Legends match at Anfield this afternoon.
The Spanish midfielder is back in the famous red shirt just under two years after his departure from the club, and as one of the youngest players on the pitch for Sir Kenny Dalglish’s side today, perhaps it’s no surprise that he didn’t take long to exert his influence on proceedings.
With just five minutes on the clock, the 34-year-old picked out Ryan Babel with a no-look pass, and the Dutchman returned the favour by picking him out with a clever through ball, with the ex-Barcelona maestro finishing to the net from a tight angle.
Just a couple of minutes later, Thiago lofted a magnificent pass towards Steven Gerrard, who exploited a gap in the Borussia Dortmund defence, but the former Liverpool captain wasn’t quite able to provide the finish.
The roles were reversed in the 18th minute as the Huyton native picked out the Spaniard, who attempted to backheel the ball into the net from close range but couldn’t finish the chance.
Injury problems plagued the ex-Spain international during his time at Anfield, especially in his final season with the club in 2023/24, but he still showed no shortage of class in a red shirt, and on today’s evidence it’s clear that his talents haven’t abated since his retirement from playing.
Best remembered for his exceptional goal against FC Porto in November 2021 with a drilled shot which saw the ball hover just over the surface without actually touching it, Thiago was the star attraction in the first 20 minutes of the Legends match this afternoon.
As noted by Connor O’Neill in his commentary for the Liverpool Echo, one suppoter near the press box at Anfield shouted ‘Give it to Thiago’ any time the ball was in close proximity to the 34-year-old.
Our former no.6 is showing today that he’s very much still got it!
You can see Thiago’s goal (from 5:12 in the match coverage) and pass to Gerrard (from 7:17) below, via Liverpool FC on YouTube:
Welcome to our Live Comments section, where new comments will appear automatically
I love the way he is still playing now
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Notify me of follow-up comments by email.
Notify me of new posts by email.
