Alisson Becker produced a record-breaking performance as Liverpool secured a remarkable 1-0 Champions League victory over Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night.
The Brazilian goalkeeper made nine crucial saves to keep the Reds in the match against a dominant PSG side.
His heroic display helped him set a new record of 22 Champions League clean sheets for Liverpool.
Substitute Harvey Elliott scored the decisive goal in the 87th minute, moments after replacing Mohamed Salah.
Alisson put on a stellar display at the Parc des Princes to help Liverpool keep a clean sheet
Reuters
The victory gives Liverpool a significant advantage heading into the second leg of their last-16 tie.
Alisson’s nine saves against PSG matched his highest-ever tally in a Champions League match.
The shutout meant he surpassed Pepe Reina’s previous Liverpool record for Champions League clean sheets, taking his tally to 23.
His performance was even more remarkable considering PSG had scored 40 goals in their previous ten matches.
Liverpool faced 27 shots throughout the match, with Alisson saving nine of them.
At times, he appeared to be the only thing standing between Liverpool and complete annihilation against their dominant opponents.
Elliott’s goal came with his first touch after being introduced by Arne Slot.
The substitute slid an angled shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma to stun the Parc des Princes.
Fellow substitute Darwin Nunez provided the assist on the counter-attack.
It was Liverpool’s only shot on target in a match where they struggled to break out of their own half.
PSG’s swarm of attackers had suffocated Liverpool for 87 minutes before Elliott’s clinical finish.
The goal inflicted PSG’s first defeat since November.
Alisson himself acknowledged the magnitude of his performance in his post-match comments.
“It was probably the performance of my life,” he told TNT Sports.
Alisson made an incredible nine saves to make it 23 clean sheets for Liverpool in the Champions League
Reuters
“The manager was telling us how hard it would be to play against PSG, how good they are with the ball and that we would have to be ready to suffer. We knew what was coming.”
“We worked hard. All the efforts the team put in makes my job easier. Then at the end Harvey coming in and scoring the goal, it is a great story for us. A great night.”
PSG’s attacking trio of Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Bradley Barcola tormented Liverpool’s defence throughout the match.
Kvaratskhelia thought he had scored in the 20th minute, only for VAR to rule him offside.
Dembele had multiple chances, including a one-on-one opportunity that Alisson managed to block.
The hosts’ six-man high press left Liverpool struggling to play out from the back.
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Harvey Elliott snatched victory for Liverpool against PSG with his first touch
Reuters
VAR also came to Liverpool’s rescue when checking a potential red card for Ibrahima Konate after a shoulder barge on Barcola.
Slot’s Champions League experience may be limited, but his substitutions proved decisive on the night.
The Dutch manager’s golden touch turned the tide in a match where Liverpool had been under siege.
Despite PSG’s dominance, Liverpool’s resilience and clinical finishing secured a barely comprehensible victory.
The result puts Liverpool in a strong position to continue their pursuit of a seventh European Cup.
For PSG, it was another frustrating night in their expensive but so far futile chase for Champions League glory.