PSG 0-1 Liverpool. Since the invention of the vidiprinter, without watching a game, football supporters could find out who had a brilliant game in putting the ball in the back of the net without watching the game.
There have been attempts, but there has not yet been a crystal clear way of differentiating a brilliant goalkeeping performance from a good one by glancing at a screen.
Goalkeepers partly due to this, receive too few plaudits. Alisson Becker received loads after Wednesday. All thoroughly deserved.
If they win next Tuesday, Liverpool will never forget that performance from Alisson Becker. That’s how good it was.
Alisson’s Liverpool beginning
Alisson Becker came through the Melwood door in July 2018, for a whopping £66.8 million, a lot for a goalkeeper most of us would have only seen twice.
But with due praise to Ian Graham, Michael Edwards, and the rest of the usual suspects, the greatest goalkeeper in the world was guided into Liverpool’s lap.
Liverpool had struggled time and time again since Bruce Grobbelaar with flawed, average, and at times erratic goalkeepers.
UEFA Champions League"Real Madrid v Liverpool FC"
UEFA Champions League"Real Madrid v Liverpool FC" | VI-Images/GettyImages
Loris Karius, Simon Mignolet, and Adam Bogdan fulfil each of those categories, and make no mistake Pepe Reina had his moments too.
In 2018, we were on the floor after Kyiv, Real Madrid had shown up our new goalkeeper, Jurgen Klopp’s goalkeeper, in front of the world.
We all left it scarred, sceptical, and nervous of goalkeepers, and of ourselves.
Alisson’s Liverpool glory
Flash forward to twelve months later and the nearly men did it thanks to the goalkeeper.
Liverpool have run Manchester City the distance in the league, and looked everything except nervous.
Becker provided that famous save from Arkadiusz Milik in the dying embers of a victory over Napoli.
Alisson Becker, Arkadiusz Milik
Liverpool v SSC Napoli - UEFA Champions League Group C | Alex Livesey - Danehouse/GettyImages
He makes big saves in the second leg of that semi-final against Barcelona, a game that does not happen without Barcelona’s nil.
Liverpool also inflict a nil against Tottenham in the final, Alisson makes one of the highest number of saves made by a Reds goalkeeper in a Champions League game, a record broken on Wednesday night.
Alisson has been outstanding since, unfettered by his rare mistakes, level-headed in the face of his own brilliance.
Alisson’s Liverpool way
In the way in which it ends up, it is easy to discount Paris in 2022. If it wasn’t for Alisson’s header against West Brom, Liverpool would never have got there.
He hasn’t had many chances to shine this season, everything has been Virgil van Dijk this, Mo Salah that, and rightly so.
Alisson Becker has been great this season. There are no safer hands in which you would rather put your life.
Harvey Elliott, Alisson Becker
Paris Saint-Germain v Liverpool FC - UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Round of 16 First Leg | Julian Finney/GettyImages
He made save after save in unorthodoxy ways, on Wednesday, saves he had no right to make.
The goalkeeper gives you those extra percentage points, and with his footwork Alisson is the ultimate marginal gain.
There was nothing about margin against Paris Saint-Germain, Alisson was the whole result Thursday night.
When all is said and done, Ali may not have Liverpool’s most appearances because of his injuries, but he will have medals and tangibility in recollection of his prowess, the greatest to wear the shirt.
He is the only one of Liverpool’s big ‘three’ who has a Bonafide successor, and he has arguably already seen one off in Caoimhin Kelleher.
Alisson
Paris Saint-Germain v Liverpool FC - UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Round of 16 First Leg | Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/GettyImages
At 32, here’s hoping, sincerely, that his handsome visage makes into Liverpool’s next decade.
He has already got his foot in Liverpool’s next era, too, the Alisson headband evolution is here, with the brilliant games to match.
Good luck, Giorgi Mamardashvili.