In the 2022 Champions League final, Liverpool dominated Real Madrid but were denied by an unforgettable performance from goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. On Wednesday night, in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool experienced the joy of being on the other side.
This time, it was Liverpool that benefited from a goalkeeping masterclass as Alisson produced a breathtaking display. Without him, Liverpool’s chances in the knockout rounds of this year’s competition could have expired immediately.
In total, Alisson faced 27 shots and saved nine of them, four of those stops coming against a red-hot Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The Brazilian also denied the in-form Ousmane Dembele and fellow Frenchman Desire Doue twice to lead his team to a 1-0 victory, despite Liverpool having only one shot on target. At times, Alisson was the only thing standing in the way of Liverpool getting completely run over.
But his influence didn’t stop between the posts. In the build-up to Harvey Elliott’s 87th-minute winner, it was Alisson who initiated the attack, launching a pinpoint long ball to Darwin Nunez, who set up Elliott for the decisive goal.
The two saves to focus on from Wednesday’s display are his spectacular reflex save from Kvaratskhelia in the 37th minute and his full-extension stop from Doue in the 80th. Both saves revealed the full breadth of Alisson’s skill set and why he is so difficult to beat when at his best, yet they share a key similarity: they both perfectly showcased the essential connection a goalkeeper must have with his defenders to achieve success.
Arguably his best save of the night came on the chance from Kvaratskhelia.
With the ball at the Georgia international’s feet on the left wing and six players in line with or behind the ball, the beginning of this move looks harmless. Though Bradley Barcola is to his left, Liverpool have it covered from all angles. There is seemingly no way past.
Then, in a split second, Kvaratskhelia magnificently weaves between two defenders before cutting inside and pushing the ball to his right. Suddenly, he is one-on-one with Ibrahima Konate.
In theory, Alisson wants his defenders to push the attacker outside and wide of the goal because it makes his angle a bit easier, makes the area of the goal he has to cover smaller, and helps make the play more predictable. However, that is easier said than done.
What makes Kvaratskhelia so difficult to defend against is his speed and quickness with the ball at his feet. His close control gives the illusion to the defender that he is under control and has time and space to slow the attacker down. Then, just as the defender feels that comfort, Kvaratskhelia takes a bigger touch and explodes into space.
Luckily for Liverpool, Konate was attentive and kept an eye on the play unfolding in front of him. Sensing the danger Kvaratskhelia possessed, he quickly adjusted his footwork and tried to close the space as quickly as possible.
As Kvaratskhelia feinted and cut inside, Alisson stood tall and attentively followed the play in front of him, taking two shuffle steps to his left and quickly getting set in the middle of his goal in preparation for the shot.
It is important for goalkeepers to have strong relationships with the players ahead of them. As the only position on the pitch that can see everything, they are vital when it comes to orchestrating the positioning of their defenders, especially in instances of danger.
An example of this can be seen in the sport of handball when a defender can effectively cover one post to help the ’keeper and make the area of the goal he has to cover significantly smaller. This can apply to football, too, and in these instances, it is vital that defenders avoid crossing the goalkeeper’s line of the shot when possible and block the side of the goal closest to them. In this instance, that would mean Konate would block the first post, allowing Alisson to cover the far post.
When Kvaratskhelia pulled his foot back, Alisson stood balanced with his body weight forward and his hands around waist height, attentively awaiting the shot.
When you look at the picture below, you see that Alisson’s right foot (which is his loading foot when you dive left) was already planted on the ground, while his left foot was slightly in the air as he prepared to take a step to his left and toward the ball. You can also see that his body weight was slightly leaning to his left as he was anticipating the ball to the far post as it came off Kvaratskhelia’s foot.
In a last-ditch effort to block the shot, Konate lunged in with his right foot, inadvertently leaving his near post exposed. This gave Kvaratskhelia just enough space to fire a shot on target, leaving Alisson vulnerable. While a defender’s intentions to block the ball by stretching himself at a vital moment are understandable, it actually becomes a hindrance for the goalkeeper.
Source: The Athletic
