Jurgen Klopp has paid tribute to Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker after his heroic performance against Real Madrid.
Despite the Reds falling to a 1-0 defeat and elimination from the Champions League, Alisson was pretty impeccable at the Santiago Bernabeu. Two enormous saves in the first-half were followed by a couple more in the second.
Mirroring the season as a whole though, the goalie’s efforts went without reward. A late goal from Karim Benzema condemned Liverpool to their worst ever aggregate defeat in Europe. 6-2 across the two games.
There was nothing Alisson could do about the goal, a typically scruffy effort from Benzema. And speaking to BT Sport after the game, Klopp made sure to highlight the 30-year-old’s contribution on the game.
“Being 5-2 down is obviously not a great result. If you want to go through you need to have a really special performance. We couldn’t put a special performance on the pitch tonight. It was in moments an open game I would say, but Madrid had the better chances, Ali had to make two sensational saves. Wow!” gushed the boss.
“In the end the goal is a scrappy one but that’s obviously not decisive anymore. The right team went through, that’s what we have to admit.”
Alisson can’t rescue Liverpool this time
How many times have we said it this season? Alisson was Liverpool’s best player by an absolute mile last night – again. He didn’t deserve to be on the losing side.
Obviously though, he was and it ended up being another chastening evening for Liverpool Football Club. But let’s forget that for a minute and focus completely on what an absolutely brilliant goalkeeper we have.
The first save from Vinicius Jnr is truly world-class. Having latched onto an Antonio Rudiger header across goal, it looked for all the world that Vinicius was about to prod Madrid ahead with a close-rang volley. But out of nowhere, Ali appeared. Spreading himself like an eagle, the big Brazilian batted away the effort with his upper right arm. Amazing.
Some will say the second save from a long-range Eduardo Camavinga effort was even better. As Camavinga bent a left-footed effort off James Miner towards the top corner, you braced yourself for the net to ripple. But Alisson wasn’t having it. Flinging himself towards the ball, the 30-year-old somehow got his fingertips to it, sending it thundering back off the bar.
In the second-half, Federico Valverde never looked like beating him whilst one-one-on did he? Ali on top again. And how about the offside save in the first-half with Benzema in on goal? The list goes on. Not to be again for Liverpool, but another exhibition in how their ‘keeper is by far and away their Player of the Year. We love you, Alisson Becker.