Alisson had hardly ever been talked about within the story of Liverpool’s previous guard rediscovering peak kind and propelling Arne Slot’s crew in direction of glory this season. One night time in Paris modified that. The Liverpool goalkeeper gave the efficiency of a lifetime, by his personal admission, to make sure Paris Saint-Germain’s dominance got here to nothing. Harvey Elliott utilized the écraser et attraper. That’s smash and seize, to you and me.

Liverpool may have been buried within the first half of the primary leg alone. Luis Enrique’s younger, quick and vibrant crew squandered a number of clear possibilities and bemoaned the choice to not dismiss Ibrahima Konaté for denying Bradley Barcola a transparent goalscoring alternative. Even Slot admitted that was a detailed name.

However Alisson stood tall all through. The 32-year-old has been nicely protected by his defence this season. Not right here. How Liverpool wanted their world-class keeper, the person whose late save against Napoli stored Jürgen Klopp’s crew on target to turn into European champions in 2019.

Alisson produced 9 saves to drive PSG to despair, a file for a Liverpool goalkeeper in a Champions League fixture and probably the most the Brazil worldwide has made in any recreation for the membership. He was even concerned within the grand larceny of Elliott’s late winner, struck 47 seconds after the substitute had entered the pitch. Alisson’s lengthy ball was gathered nicely by one other spectacular substitute, Darwin Núñez, who laid the ball into the trail of Elliott to strike a medical end previous Gianluigi Donnarumma. It was the one time the PSG crowd fell silent all night time. A goalless draw would have felt scant reward for his or her crew’s efforts.

Parc des Princes offered a spectacular backdrop to the assembly of the free-scoring French champions and runaway Premier League leaders. The house crowd have been in advantageous voice lengthy earlier than the groups entered a cauldron of noise and pyrotechnics. After the fireplace got here the fury for PSG of two massive calls going in opposition to them within the first half, laced with widespread disbelief on the absence of a complete lead. Alisson, semi-automated VAR and PSG profligacy have been the explanation why.

Liverpool have been dominated for nearly the whole lot of the opening interval as Luis Enrique’s crew dictated play and stretched the visiting defence repeatedly. Slot had predicted PSG’s entrance three of Barcola, Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia would pose an identical check to Manchester Metropolis with their velocity and motion. In contrast to the recent win at the Etihad Stadium, nonetheless, his crew struggled in its collective makes an attempt to include them. Nor did Liverpool mix containment with a innovative. Donnarumma was a digital spectator within the PSG objective all through a primary half during which Liverpool had no makes an attempt on track. His reverse quantity was overworked by comparability however produced an unforgettable shift.

PSG went man-to-man in midfield with Vitinha sitting deep on Dominik Szoboszlai, Fabián Ruiz denying Ryan Gravenberch house to interrupt the traces and João Neves stifling Alexis Mac Allister’s affect. They spent extra time toying with Liverpool in possession.

Neves ought to have opened the scoring when Dembélé turned on the afterburners to depart Andy Robinson and Mac Allister in his rearview mirror. The revitalised ahead picked out the unmarked Neves from the byline however the midfielder scuffed his shot into the bottom and over.

One other sensible run from Dembélé resulted in a nook when his shot looped off Virgil van Dijk and over Alisson. The Liverpool keeper clawed away the set piece just for Neves to pick Kvaratskhelia on the best of the penalty space. The January signing from Napoli curled an beautiful end inside Alisson’s far nook. It was a superb end, however disallowed for a good offside in opposition to the goalscorer’s calf.

The PSG crowd have been incensed, and their grievance deepened when Barcola was nudged over by Konaté as he ran via on to Willian Pacho’s lengthy ball out of defence. Contact occurred exterior the realm however VAR checked a doable red-card offence by Konaté. It will definitely caught with the on-field referee’s choice to not penalise Liverpool’s final man.

The let-offs didn’t spark a response from Liverpool. The guests remained encamped on the again foot, struggling to match PSG’s sharpness on the ball or power off it. Alisson denied Dembélé with an outstretched foot when he was performed via by Barcola’s cute ball. He then made an excellent response save, adjusting his ft and getting down low to his left to tip away a Kvaratskhelia effort that was destined for the underside nook.

Slot’s half-time directions did little to show the tide both. Waves of PSG assaults stored coming. Alisson stored repelling them, the Brazil worldwide making one other very important intervention when the mesmerising Kvaratskhelia swept a free-kick from 25 yards in direction of the far nook.

Liverpool managed to limit PSG to pictures from distance within the closing levels however Désiré Doué nearly punctured their resistance. The substitute’s strike arced in direction of the far nook just for the Brazilian to brilliantly thwart PSG together with his fingertips but once more. He additionally scooped away a Dembélé try earlier than delivering one closing blow to the disbelieving French champions together with his half in Elliott’s winner. Anfield awaits the return with bated breath.