Yardbarker
x
Alisson’s heroics inspire Liverpool’s Champions League triumph
Xinhua

Liverpool legend Alisson Becker arguably delivered his greatest performance in the red jersey against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. The Reds secured a late 0-1 victory in the away first-leg clash against Les Parisiens in the round of 16.

Liverpool started the game strongly but soon got pinned back by the hosts and their relentless in-form attackers with pace. PSG have enjoyed an incredible goal-scoring form recently, with Ousmane Dembele leading the charge alongside Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Bradley Barcola.

The French giant also possesses fantastic attacking fullbacks Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes, with a strong midfield and defensive core. While PSG pinned Liverpool back and dominated possession, the Reds struggled to find an outlet, resulting in a stressful evening.

While Mohamed Salah struggled to find any space to influence the game, both Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota constantly failed. Jota and Diaz have struggled to make any impact when Liverpool lacks possession as their gameplay in midfield to attack transition is lacking.

However, Alisson acted as the Reds’ savior throughout the game, making numerous world-class saves to keep PSG frustrated. According to Fotmob, Alisson secured the highest 9.2 rating compared to all players during his Player of the Match performance.

The 32-year-old made nine saves, which included six diving saves, four saves from shots inside the box, one punch and 11 recoveries. He also made three throws with 57% accurate passes (28 in total) and 45% accurate long balls (22 in total).

Liverpool scored the 87th-minute winner when Harvey Elliott pounced on the fantastic assist from Darwin Nunez. However, Alisson was the architect of the goal, finding Nunez with an impeccable long pass for him to find Elliott.

According to Liverpoolfc.com, Alisson’s incredible performance also earned him a nomination for the Champions League Player of the Week award. Liverpool needs their legendary goalkeeper to maintain this form until the end of the season for them to secure major trophies.

This article first appeared on The Kop Times and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!