Luis Suarez takes aim at ex-Man Utd star after Uruguay beat Brazil at Copa America

Liverpool players past and present were celebrating in Nevada on Saturday evening. They were not enjoying a big win in Las Vegas but rather a significant Copa America victory in Paradise.

A Brazil side featuring Alisson Becker was expected to win its quarter-final match to set up a last-four tie with Luis Díaz ’ Colombia. Uruguay had other ideas though and knocked out the Selecao on penalties following a goalless draw.

Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez started the match but was not involved in the shootout as he had already been substituted. The 25-year-old was seen consoling club teammate Alisson after the match . However, former Reds forward Luis Suarez was not so friendly towards Brazil, taking aim at comments from an ex- Manchester United player who was on the losing side.

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The man in question is Fulham attacking midfielder Andreas Pereira. He didn’t start the match but came off the bench in the 82 ^nd minute, scoring in the shootout after Eder Militao had missed Brazil’s first effort.

Pereira had spoken prior to the game and chosen to downplay their rivals’ chances. “The Uruguayan national team is very good, but if you take it name by name, we have a team that they dream of having,” he said (via Metro ).

It’s hard to imagine any Uruguay player taking kindly to these words, least of all Suarez. It was a classic ‘pin this to the dressing room wall’ quote, guaranteed to get the opposition fired up ahead of the match and likely better left unsaid.

After the game, Pereira insisted he meant no disrespect. “I simply said that I preferred it and I think our players are better, so if they used that to their advantage, they can do whatever they want. But at no time did I show any disrespect towards Uruguay,” he said.

Suarez was inevitably asked about Pereira’s pre-match comments and was predictably unimpressed. “We have the best midfielders in the world, top-level players,” he said. "To talk about Uruguay, you have to have a little more respect, know the history of Uruguay.”

“Before I say which players want to be on the Brazilian national team, I have to say that the person who made that comment was [Giorgian] De Arrascaeta’s reserve [at Flamengo], who is the best player in Brazilian football,“ Suarez continued. “So imagine what it’s like for us to hear that.”

Liverpool.com says: It's easy to envisage Suarez delighting in the opportunity to prove Pereira wrong, even if he didn't feature in the match himself. His will to win at Liverpool was legendary, occasionally overstepping the mark, and doesn't seem to have dimmed in the intervening decade.