Peter Crouch scored twice to help Liverpool seal their place in the final of the World Club Championship.

Liverpool weere in complete control against Costa Rican side Deportivo Saprissa, taking an early lead ciourtesy of a Crouch strike.

Gerrard made it 2-0 with a stunning volley from the edge of the area, before Crouch converted a third after half-time.

Liverpool will meet Brazilian outfit Sao Paulo in Sunday’s final.

Liverpool’s clean sheet brings their total of clean sheets to 10, surpassing the mark set by Kenny Dalglish’s title winners of 1987-88.

Liverpool and Sao Paulo both received byes into the semi-finals of the revamped six-team competition.

Sao Paulo won the old world club championship in 1992 and 1993, while Liverpool will be attempting to become world champions for the first time after losing in the finals of the old competition in 1981 and 1984.

Crouch, who hass struggled for goals this season, was delighted to have regained his scoring touch.

“I’m obviously thankful that we won today and I’m glad to get the two goals and hopefully I can go on a little run now,” Crouch told the BBC.

“It was a different style of play today to what we are used to but I think we coped well with it.

“I’m feeling confident at the moment and glad I took the goals well.

“Djib (Cisse) got a good flick for the first one and I got a bit lucky for the second one to get through but stuck it away well.

“When we got the early goal we felt comfortable and hopefully we can go on and win it now.”

Crouch is expecting a tough game against Sao Paolo.

“The Brazilians will be a technical side and it will be another tough one,” added Crouch.

“But hopefully we can get in and around them and if we can get an early goal then hopefully we can beat them.”

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez was quick to warn his players that they will face a much tougher task when they face the Brazilian side.

“I think it will be more difficult against Sao Paulo for sure,” Benitez said. “It is a good team with experience and good players. We need to play much better.”

Despite the defeat, Saprissa coach Hernan Medford was pleased his side’s display.

“Unfortunately we lost but I don’t want to make any excuses,” said Medford.

“We have learned a lot and I realize that there is a lot to work on. But it was a good game and a good experience.

“It was a big moment (Liverpool) scoring so early and it changed the course of the game.

“We still have another goal: win the game for third place,” said Medford whose team faces Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

“Of course we are not happy about the loss but we are not embarrassed because we played against a really big team and we did our best.”

Subscribe to World Soccer – The essential football magazine