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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was happy with the cameo from new signing Luis Diaz after the Reds beat Cardiff City 3-1 at Anfield in the FA Cup fourth round.
Second-half goals from Diogo Jota, Takumi Minamino and Harvey Elliott secured Liverpool’s passage to the fifth round, where they will play Norwich City at home.
Diaz arrived in the game as a 58th-minute substitute and had a hand in a goal just 10 minutes later as he won the ball from Perry Ng, before some neat dribbling allowed him to pull it back – via a flick off Jota – towards Minamino to score Liverpool’s second.
Klopp was impressed with the Colombian’s impact and also assuaged fears that Diaz picked up an injury after the former Porto man looked in pain when Cardiff defender Aden Flint accidentally landed on his knee.
“He’s good, thank god,” Klopp confirmed. “The goal he set up for Taki [Minamino] was incredible. High press, I love it!
“He goes down, holds his knee. He is bruised on his knee. It’s red. ‘Welcome to England!’ He has his first assist and first scar. I don’t think it’ll be serious.”
Diaz completed 19 of his 20 passes on his Liverpool debut, and successfully executed all 11 of passes made in the opposition half.
The Reds boss also had words of praise for Elliott, whose 76th-minute strike at the Kop end was his first goal for the senior team and arrived in his first game back after five months out with a dislocated ankle.
The 18-year-old suffered the injury in the 3-0 win at Leeds United in September, but his manager said he handled the setback admirably.
“He’s a kid, yes. On the pitch not so much,” Klopp added. “He was buzzing. He was waiting for this moment. We were all waiting but the fact we could do it today was so nice.
“I was in a worse mood than he was after the injury. He was like, ‘Come on boss, head up. I’ll be back!'”
