Liverpool Goalkeeper Loris Karius Gets Rousing Anfield Reception in Friendly Win Over Torino

Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius may have slipped down his club's pecking order since the arrival of Brazil number one Alisson Becker from AS Roma - but it seems that the Anfield faithful still have great affection for the German.

Karius came on as a substitute in the Reds' 3-1 friendly win over Serie A side Torino on Tuesday, replacing the Brazilian with 18 minutes remaining to make his first Anfield appearance since last season. Although the home fans gave Becker a standing ovation, they gave Karius an even warmer reception.

Jan Kruger/GettyImages

Karius also expressed his gratitude for this reception on Twitter, although he is unlikely to be under any illusions about his status at Liverpool. Becker was signed for a world record fee of €75m and is clearly the Reds' first choice, although Karius has retained the number one shirt.

Nevertheless, Karius must be relieved that his club's fans haven't turned on him after his catastrophic display in last season's UEFA Champions League final, in which he was seriously at fault for two of Real Madrid's goals in their 3-1 victory over the Reds. He gifted Los Blancos' opener to Karim Benzema, before fumbling an eminently stoppable Gareth Bale strike into the net.

To be fair to the German, he could have done nothing about Bale's first goal, a wonderful overhead kick which was arguably one of the greatest goals in Champions League history.

Despite his high profile errors, Karius actually has a solid record in the Premier League with the Reds. Since moving from Mainz in 2016, the 25-year-old has made 29 league appearances, in which he has made 51 saves - including a penalty save - and kept 13 clean sheets. He has also made just two errors leading to goals in league matches.

He will likely be a solid deputy for Becker next season.