Simon Mignolet comments on Liverpool No.1 Loris Karius ahead of Champions League final

Simon Mignolet may have been displaced from the role of the first-choice goalkeeper but that hasn’t stopped him from heaping praise on Loris Karius.

Despite starting the season on a strong note, Liverpool failed to make a mark because of a leaky defence. Our defenders were quite poor and Mignolet’s performances between the sticks weren’t all that impressive either. Eventually, we purchased Virgil van Dijk in the summer transfer window and that strengthened our back line.

However, Jurgen Klopp also decided to deploy Karius as the No.1 ahead of Mignolet. While that decision was a tad controversial at that time, it eventually turned out to be a good move.

Karius played decently enough in goal and he continued to improve with every game. The player now is expected to take up the role even in the epic Champions League final against Real Madrid this weekend.

On a personal level, the drop from grace will certainly affect Mignolet’s future at Anfield but for now, he seems to be quite optimistic about the team’s upcoming trip to Kiev.

Speaking to James Pearce of Liverpool Echo, Mignolet gave his opinion about each player heading to the grand final. When it came to Karius, he said:

“Loris has helped the team. He has made some important saves and has commanded his penalty area well. When crosses have needed to be collected, he’s been there. All credit to him.”

Well, it looks like there is no animosity between the two keepers and that is a positive sign. It remains to be seen if Mignolet will continue with Liverpool beyond the end of the season but for now, it looks like he is hoping for a miraculous win against the reigning European champions.