Liverpool managed to get a 1-0 win over the line in their Champions League game against Real Madrid on Tuesday evening – and after battling tirelessly to take the lead, Arne Slot will be relieved they managed to do so.
In a repeat fixture of last season’s battle between the two European heavyweights, Liverpool tirelessly bore down on goal but couldn’t quite find the opener.
Alexis Mac Allister, as he did last season, opened the scoring to hand Real Madrid their first loss in the Champions League this season and get Liverpool’s season back on track.
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But once again, Thibaut Courtois was immovable between the sticks and Arne Slot will be thankful that they got past him after an insane statistic emerged.
Thibaut Courtois playing for Real Madrid vs Liverpool in the Champions League
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Thibaut Courtois almost haunted Liverpool once again in outstanding Real Madrid display
Last season, Courtois produced similar heroics with five saves from five shots in the box, though Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo wore him down.
And, in the May 2022 final in Paris, Courtois made nine saves before Vinicius Jr scored to hand Real Madrid the trophy, in what was one of the best goalkeeping performances ever in a final.
Yet on Tuesday at Anfield, he was at it once again when he made eight saves on Merseyside, including four from inside the area.
He prevented 1.05 expected goals on Tuesday night, with the highest prevention being a save from Dominik Szoboszlai, which was ranked as having a 42 percent chance of going in.
But most incredibly, journalist Duncan Alexander stated just minutes into the second half that 22 percent of Courtois’ saves since the start of the 2022 final had come against the Reds.
That didn’t include Cody Gakpo’s huge chance at the end of the clash, with the figure increasing by the end of the tie.
It’s a testament to Liverpool’s attacking talent that they continue to test Courtois, but they’ll be delighted that he was breached.
Alexis Mac Allister scores for Liverpool vs Real Madrid
Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
Virgil van Dijk admitted Liverpool were worried Courtois would repeat Paris 2022 heroics
Liverpool barely laid a glove on Brentford in a 3-1 defeat, didn’t capitalise on Manchester United’s poor defending in a loss at Anfield, and the Real Madrid game did look haunting with Courtois in goal.
Beating Real, who had enjoyed their second-best start to a campaign ever, will give Arne Slot real confidence going forward.
But Virgil van Dijk did admit that he thought Courtois could have gone on to copy his 2022 performance on a testing night at Anfield.
He told Amazon Prime Video’s live coverage: “Sometimes you have to hold your hand up, and Courtois was…you can make it easier, but you have a goalkeeper against you who was outstanding.
“I think it gave me a bit of a feeling that we had in Paris when we lost the final as well.
“But he was outstanding today again. We found a way, and now we move on.”
A tough clash away at Manchester City on Sunday afternoon will give them another test, but from there, fixtures become easier.
A run of games against strugglers Nottingham Forest, West Ham and Leeds, as well as newly-promoted Sunderland and then PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League, is a real chance to get back to where they were if Arsenal slip up.