Virgil van Dijk paid tribute to Alisson Becker and Arne Slot's substitutions after Liverpool sealed a dramatic 1-0 victory at Paris Saint-Germain
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Virgil Van Dijk reacts during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg football match between Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool at Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris, France on March 05, 2025
(Image: Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Virgil van Dijk neatly sidestepped the question. But the fact it was even asked said much about the evening the Liverpool skipper and his team-mates had just endured at the Parc des Princes.
“Was that the toughest challenge of my Liverpool career? I don’t know,” says Van Dijk ."But what I really liked was the togetherness, everyone put a shift in and we know everyone can be better."
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There's no doubt, though, the Champions League round of 16 first leg against Paris Saint-Germain was the most severe examination of Arne Slot's trophy-chasing team to date, particularly during a first half in which only the excellence of Alisson Becker kept the hosts at bay.
READ MORE: PSG reaction to astonishing Liverpool win spoke volumes as Arne Slot right againREAD MORE: Harvey Elliott channels Liverpool frustrations perfectly as emotional Darwin Nunez post proves true
Liverpool had just 29% possession with substitute Harvey Elliott's dramatic late winner their only shot on target compared to 10 for PSG. It made for a night when rearguard resilience rather than adventurous attacking play was required, in stark contrast to the usual approach from Slot's side.
"We don't want to be playing this way because everyone who plays football wants to have the ball a lot and wants to be dominating opponents," says Van Dijk. "But we played against a team with a lot of world-class quality and they made it very difficult for everyone in the world so far. They made it difficult for us but we found a way.
"Before the game the manager mentioned about not getting frustrated as we would not have the ball as much and we would have to play long balls more than we usually do. We knew PSG would come out blazing in terms of the press one-v-one and our plan was to go over the press and make second runs in behind.
"It worked a couple of times and you could see how much space it opened up but I think we were a bit too rushed at times as well with our decision-making and we couldn't find the right man or were not as good in possession as we wanted to be.
"At times you saw it could be wide open if you made the right decisions but most of it was defending as one unit and stopping them from scoring and Ali obviously played a big part in that."
Alisson made nine saves during the game, the most he has recorded in a match during his Liverpool career. And his clean sheet saw him surpass the tally of Pepe Reina for the most by a Reds goalkeeper in the Champions League.
“Listen, he's the best goalkeeper in the world – I've mentioned it many times in the past and he showed it again on the biggest stage," says Van Dijk. "A lot of shots were from distance but he was there to save us and we put ourselves in a good position for next week. But we all know this is far from over.
"PSG are an outstanding team with an outstanding manager and they come to Liverpool with the belief they can turn this around and we have to be ready for a very big task - and we will be."
Elliott's goal means the Reds will have something tangible to defend at Anfield next Tuesday, mindful of the fact Liverpool have never before been eliminated from Europe having won the first leg away.
Having been a regular for much of last season, the 21-year-old has started only one Champions League this term and none in the Premier League, hampered first by injury and then the form of Dominik Szoboszlai.
And asked if he has spoken to Elliott about his struggles, Van Dijk says: "Yeah, definitely. Everyone knows it's not easy if you are not playing - you work so hard every day to get your opportunity and the manager has spoken with him a lot as well.
"It comes down to moments like this when you come on and try to make a difference and I'm pleased for him. I said he deserved it and now it is just focusing on the next opportunity to be there again."
With Darwin Nunez assisting Elliott's strike and both Curtis Jones and Wataru Endo making a significant impact, all four of the substitutes to which Slot turned helped transform the game in the final quarter.
“It says a lot," says Van Dijk. "We are coming to the last stages of the season and the message is pretty clear: everyone who is part of the team has to play a part when they come on and with the goal you saw Darwin makes it difficult for Marquinhos and the ball falls and he gives a good pass to Harvey for the finish.
"Even Wata coming on, Curtis doing a good job – it is good to see and everyone needs to feel that importance because there are many big games – and decisive games – coming up so we have to keep going."
Rock-bottom Southampton are up next in the Premier League on Saturday before the return leg against PSG on Tuesday evening. And after being given rousing backing at the Parc des Princes, Van Dijk believes the French champions can expect a new kind of test at Anfield.
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“It will be different and it should be different," he insists. "They will come with their fans which makes for a good atmosphere, from what I can remember from the last time they came to Anfield.
"It should be a great game and we have to be ready to suffer as they are a very good team who were unbeaten for a very long time, a team that has blown teams away this season. We have managed to keep a clean sheet and get a 1-0 win and put ourselves in a good position next week to fight and hopefully get it done."