Perhaps by fate, Karius will make his Carreus debut in the Carabao Cup final, his first appearance since the 2018 Champions League final. For Karius, this is a battle of fate and a battle of redemption!
A nightmare battle
Let's start by going back to 26 May 2018, when Liverpool played Real Madrid in the Champions League final. If Bale, who came off the bench, stole all the limelight by scoring twice and sealing the win, Karius, who made two low-level mistakes, became a real sinner.
He first made a mistake while throwing the ball in his hand and was blocked by Benzema. He then skipped off Bale's long-range shot, and his two mistakes cost Liverpool the title, and Karius has since become synonymous with the "butter hand".
If Karius hadn't thrown the ball at Benzema's feet or made no mistake in saving Bale's long-range shot, and Liverpool had won, he would have become a Liverpool hero and his career would have been completely different.
In fact, Karius was justified for making a low-level mistake because he was hit in the head by Ramos in the Champions League final. After the final, Karius flew to the United States for a medical exam in Massachusetts, where Dr. Kiop revealed that "he developed symptoms of concussion, visuospatial cognitive impairment, and attention impairment, which also affected his physical performance." Five days after the final, he still scored 26 out of a total of 30 concussion scores. ”
However, few sympathised with Karius, with Liverpool fans even thinking it was the Champions League final as his last game for the Reds. Karius is also well aware that he has made an unforgivable mistake, saying on social networks, "I can't sleep." Those scenes were repeated over and over again in my head. Sorry, I know I made two mistakes and disappointed you guys. ”
The forgotten people
Three months after the 2018 Champions League final, Karius was loaned to Besiktas for two seasons. In his first season with Beşiktaş, Karius made 35 appearances, while Beşiktaş finished third in the Turkish Premier League.
However, Karius has been completely devastated by a mistake in the Champions League final, and during the pre-season training with Liverpool, Karius was detached from a free-kick and was scored by Torit. In October 2018, Besiktas lost 2-0 to Malmö and, in the face of an oblique pass, Karius again leaked the ball into the goal. In the match between the Turkish Super League and Konya, Karius was saved into the goal by a low shot from his opponent.
On 19 September 2019, Besiktas played away to Bratislava in the Europa League group stage, and Karius struck a pounce from outside the box and knocked down a defender who was back in the box, allowing Scherbar to easily send the ball into an empty net.
At the same time, Karius also accused the club of owing wages and falling out with the club completely. Günesh, the old boss of Besiktas, said: "He had problems with his reaction, motivation and passion, he was a bit sluggish, he was talented but this transfer was ineffective. ”
Karius returned to Liverpool in the summer of 2020 but was immediately loaned to Union Berlin. However, he made only five joint appearances for Berlin, with veteran Lute snatching the main spot from him. Karius returned to Liverpool in the summer of 2021, but he has become the team's fifth goalkeeper, behind Alisson, Kelleher, Adrien and 19-year-old Petaluga.
Despite the possibility of being loaned out, Karius seems to have lost the courage to continue. He would rather stay on the bench at Liverpool than look for opportunities at other clubs. Karius later said, "Even though I knew I wouldn't have a chance, I found myself in a situation where I had to stay." ”
He stayed, but he became a forgotten man.
Save your career's last chance
In the summer of 2022, Karius's contract with Liverpool expired and he became a free agent. Surprisingly, after Dubravka's move to Manchester United, Newcastle decided to sign Karius.
As the team's No. 3 or No. 4 goalkeeper, Karius has never made his Newcastle debut. However, the opportunity suddenly appeared. In the match against Liverpool, Pope rushed out of the box and turned red and was automatically suspended. No.2 goalkeeper Dubravka has already played for United in the Carabao Cup this season and is therefore unable to play in the Carabao Cup final, and No.3 goalkeeper Darlow is on loan, giving Karius his debut.
For Karius, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If he can perform well in the Carabao Cup final, the 29-year-old Karius can save his career.
However, Karius's last appearance was on February 28, 2021, when he made a match against Hoffenheim. For the next two years, Karius only played in warm-up matches, including the warm-up match against Riyadh Crescent in December 2022.
For Karius, it was his first appearance for a Premier League club since the 2018 Champions League final and his first in five years. Meanwhile, it was Newcastle's first final in 24 years and they were aiming to win their first trophy since 1969.
After 5 years of wandering, can Karius complete true redemption and completely heal his inner demons?