Rio Ferdinand full of praise for 'hero' Alisson after Liverpool's dramatic victory over PSG in UEFA Champions League
Updated 05/03/2025 at 23:44 GMT
Liverpool manager Arne Slot branded goalkeeper Alisson as the "best in the world" after the Reds' 1-0 UEFA Champions League success at PSG. The goalkeeper put in a man of the match display at the Parc des Princes, making 10 saves over the course of the evening. That earned special praise from TNT Sports pundit Rio Ferdinand, who said the Brazilian "stepped up to be the hero" for his side.
'Made them look so easy' - Watch full analysis of Alisson MOTM performance
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TNT Sports pundit Rio Ferdinand branded Alisson a "hero" for his performance in Liverpool's UEFA Champions League win over PSG.
Harvey Elliott's late goal secured a 1-0 victory in the last-16 tie at the Parc des Princes.
That came from the Reds' only shot on target across the 90 minutes.
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At the other end, goalkeeper Alisson was called up time and again, making 10 saves - many of them spectacular ones - to ensure his clean sheet remained intact.
Ferdinand was quick to heap praise on the Brazilian, as he said: "Nobody's mentioning him before the game, and all of a sudden, he steps up and becomes the absolute hero in this team.
"You've got to find different ways to win football games. You can't always be Mo Salah. You can't always be pretty. Sometimes you've got to be ugly.
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"Today, they're coming out of here and I know they're walking out going, 'we got away with one,' but you'll take that.
"It's the most saves he's ever made in a game for Liverpool.
"The great thing about it is, those saves and moments in this game, many of them were very difficult - he made them look so easy. That's the sign of a top class goalkeeper.
"He's not about frills and making outrageous moments in games. He does what needs to be done at the right times and he puts points on the board for his team."
Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia were among the players to be thwarted by Alisson.
The goalkeeper also played a big hand in diverting many threatening crosses away from danger.
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Highlights: Super-sub Elliott gives Liverpool valuable first-leg lead over PSG
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Speaking on TNT Sports, former Liverpool midfielder Steve McManaman said that if it was not for the Brazilian, PSG could have had a field day.
"We forget the first half, where they absolutely gave us a masterclass," he said. "They should have scored. It was down to their own failings, really. That's what it was.
"The second half was different, with a lot of shots from outside the box, but the goalkeeper was outstanding.
"Any other day, you'd think PSG would have done enough to score a couple of goals, but Liverpool were incredibly resilient.
"Defensively, they were excellent and you keep going back to the man in yellow; the number one stopper. He kept them in the game and got them the result tonight.
"He is an outstanding goalkeeper. We know that. We've always known it. But he's never been worked as hard as he was tonight.
"He stood up to everything that was thrown at him. He's a big goalkeeper, but everything he punched, everything he stopped, it was cannoned away from goal."
'Probably of my life' - Alisson admits he was on top form
Alisson himself concedes - and it was the only thing he conceded all night - that he has probably never put in a better performance.
The goalkeeper has now kept more Champions League clean sheets for Liverpool than any other player, as he surpassed Pepe Reina's record.
It was his 22nd shut-out in the competition, and third of the 2024/25 campaign.
Speaking to TNT Sports, he described his display as "Probably [the best] of my life I think, so far, hopefully!
"The manager was telling us how hard it would be to play against PSG; how good they are with the ball. We had to be ready to suffer.
"When you see the clips from the opponents, you know what is coming. So much quality on their side.
"We as well, we work hard. Yes, we gave away so many chances, but always with a player on the ball. Not so many times, some of them one vs one.
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Alisson rates PSG clean sheet as 'probably best' of his life
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"The biggest part of the chase is always having someone to make the player who is having the chance have to think a little bit more.
"It makes my job easier, all the efforts that the team puts in. At the end, Harvey coming in and scoring the goal, it's unbelievable. A great story for us. A great night."
The result gives Liverpool a huge advantage heading into the second leg at Anfield in two weeks' time.
It is also their eighth win from just nine games in the competition this season.
The Reds are seeking a seventh European crown, the most recent of which came in 2019, when Jurgen Klopp guided his side to victory over Spurs in the final.
Alisson was in goal back then, and he is experienced enough to know the Premier League leaders still have work to do to book their spot in the quarter-finals.
"I think it's [PSG] a really good team," he continued. "We have, still, more time to come.
"Hopefully we can keep the result for the second game and we can play a better game. We know we have to improve for the game at home.
"If we go through, we are going to have to play other teams that are really tough as well.
"We have to recognise so much quality on the PSG team. With the ball, having possession, creating chances; yeah, it was a tough night for us, but with a happy end."
"He's the best in the world" - Slot
Liverpool had to suck up a lot of pressure in the French capital.
PSG enjoyed 71% of the possession on the night, and had 27 shots, albeit with just ten of them on target.
Slot's men weathered the storm though, before Elliott scored in the 87th minute.
The goal came with the substitute's first touch of the game, just 47 seconds after he had been brought off the bench.
"I think there were a lot of similarities from our game against Manchester City [which Liverpool won 2-0]," the manager said.
"We faced a team that is so, so, so good in ball possession, and has great wingers as well that dominate the one v one situation.
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Alisson 'best in the world' and 1-0 win 'more than we deserved' claims Slot
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"I always knew, I said it I think before that game, that we would not dominate ball possession over here.
"They take the risk of one v one all over the pitch, and that's the only thing that I can blame my players for, that I think there were 3, 4, 5, 6 times when we played through them and was completely open.
"But that had maybe also to do with being tired or having to defend so much, that the last touch should be better. That's sometimes difficult if you've already defended so much."
The return leg is at Anfield on Tuesday, March 11.
Slot will be hoping that Alisson has a much more comfortable night on Merseyside than he did in Paris.
But the Dutchman was keen to praise his stopper, who he thinks is the best on the planet.
"I don't think I've worked with a goalkeeper who's been at this level," he continued, "which is normal, because he's the best in the world.
"I've had some very good players as a manager, but I've never had the best goalkeeper in the world. That, I think, he is. He showed that today.
"I did experience, once or twice, we had to defend so much, but normally, then you come away with a 1-0 loss, or 2-0 or 3-0.
"To go away with a win over here was probably a bit more than we deserved."
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