Liverpool had another star player vs PSG other than Alisson who did not get dribbled past even once – opinion

Alisson Becker put in the performance of a lifetime in Liverpool’s 1-0 win against Paris Saint-Germain during the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16.

If Liverpool go on to win the competition, Alisson’s performance will go down in history as one of the best a Reds player has ever put on in Europe.

Since the advent of the Champions League, Steven Gerrard’s lionhearted display against AC Milan in Istanbul is perhaps still widely viewed as the best a Liverpool player has ever produced in the competition.

But Alisson’s showing against PSG was different class too, as he made nine saves against the hosts to keep the visitors in the game before Harvey Elliott came off the bench and scored the winner.

The Brazilian’s performance was especially impressive considering most of his teammates had an off night, with Mohamed Salah’s display against PSG described as “ghostly.” Even Ryan Gravenberch was hooked off in the 78th minute for Wataru Endo for having an uncharacteristically disappointing game.

Virgil Van Dijk was amazing for Liverpool vs PSG

But Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk can hold his head high after how he fared against PSG.

Van Dijk had an isolated lapse in concentration as he ran away from Ousmane Dembele and gave him a clear shot at goal.

But aside from his one mistake, the Dutch international was typically brilliant. PSG approached the game fearlessly and tried attacking Liverpool down Van Dijk’s side, with Dembele in particular dancing past Andy Robertson time after time.

But the sole reason why the Parisians could not get much joy inside the box, especially in the second half is because the Reds defender cleared away any and all signs of danger. Van Dijk’s positioning throughout the game stood out as he made constant interceptions and tackles every time PSG tried to play the ball in behind Liverpool’s defence and led from the back.

Even when it came to defending out wide, the Breda-born defender constantly covered ground in quick time and booted the ball away on numerous instances. Ibrahima Konate hailed Van Dijk as the best centre-back in the world and he proved that to be the case, managing to stay composed amidst the chaos of his side crumbling at the back against an admittedly brilliant side.

Gary Neville called Van Dijk the “Rodri of Liverpool” and that was evident against PSG as his side cannot function as well as they do defensively in his absence — as his perfectly timed challenges and blocks restricted Luis Enrique’s side to long shots for much of the second half — giving the English giants the momentum to snatch the game away.

What were Van Dijk’s stats in PSG vs Liverpool?

The former Southampton defender is a seasoned campaigner and unlike many of his teammates, the raucous Parc des Princes crowd did not get to his head.

The decorated colossus went about his business as he tends to and put in a masterclass that has now given Arne Slot’s side the advantage heading into the second leg.

The statistics back up how incredible Van Dijk really was for Liverpool against PSG.

Van Dijk was not even dribbled past once, which is some achievement when playing against some of the best dribblers on the planet in Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Bradley Barcola.

The Champions League winner even made two interceptions and recoveries apiece and three header clearances.

All in all, Van Dijk had a stellar game against PSG as the Liverpool legend continues to age like fine wine.