Both Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino saw action together for Brazil on Saturday, with the home team running out 5-0 winners over Bolivia in their World Cup qualifying clash.
Liverpool Roberto Firmino has explicitly labelled Philippe Coutinho as one of the very best in the world , saying that playing with him at Liverpool was a pleasure.
Both strikers were in action together as Brazil showed their dominance in their emphatic 5-0 rout of Bolivia with Firmino netting twice for the home team and Coutinho wrapping up the proceedings with Brazil’s fifth.
Barca midfielder Coutinho has kicked off this season brightly after having been ignominously deemed surplus to requirements at the Camp Nou last season, and sent out on loan to Bayern Munich. At the core of Brazil’s attacking football on the weekend, the Brazilian is playing with the form that saw him win a £142million transfer in 2018.
Firmino is better acquainted with Coutinho than most others, having played alongside him for the Brazil team and for three years at Liverpool. Heaping praise on his international team-mate, Firmino had no qualms telling FIFA.com:
“He’s phenomenal.
“You simply can’t say that he’s not a magician. He has magical powers. He produces plays that don’t exist, that you couldn’t make up.
“You always have to watch replays of his plays to understand what he’s done. He’s an unbelievable player. It was a pleasure to play with him at Liverpool, and it’s a pleasure to play with him for the Selecao.
“I’m a huge fan of his. He’s one of the very best players in the world.”
Wonder what the Barca boardroom blokes would react to this frank appraisal of the Brazilian midfielder they had so quickly written off and whisked him off on loan to the Bundesliga.