I know what Coutinho is capable of, says Mignolet

Goalkeeper Simon Mignolet was not surprised by Philippe Coutinho’s “very special” goal in the second leg of Liverpool’s Europa League tie against Manchester United – because he has been on the receiving end of similar efforts in training.

With the first half drawing to a close and his side trailing 1-0 at Old Trafford, Coutinho produced a moment of individual brilliance to bring the visitors level on the night.

The Brazil international managed to trick his way past Manchester United full-back Guillermo Varela before delicately lifting the ball over goalkeeper David de Gea from a tight angle.

Mignolet says his team-mate’s strike came at the perfect time, as Liverpool had seen their 2-0 first-leg lead cut in half by Anthony Martial’s 32nd-minute penalty.

“From where I was it was difficult to see how tight the angle was,” the goalkeeper told the Liverpool Echo.

“But I’ve seen it back and it was a very special goal. He got past the defender and the finish from that angle was just incredible. Philippe made it look so easy.

“I wasn’t surprised because I see him do that every day in training. He scores goals like that past me. I know what he’s capable of.

“He’s such a good player for us and he helped us get the job done against United.

“Phil scored at exactly the right time, just before half-time. It changed the game.”

Having knocked out United 3-1 on aggregate, Liverpool will next face manager Jurgen Klopp’s former side Borussia Dortmund in the last eight of the tournament.