Liverpool’s 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) within the Champions League will go down as one of the vital sudden but superb leads to current membership historical past. Within the newest Stat Me Up! podcast on Anfield Index, Dave Davis and Dr Phil Barter dissected the numbers behind the Reds’ outstanding win on the Parc des Princes. The statistical breakdown paints an image of pure survival, with Liverpool defying the percentages by means of sheer resilience, defensive heroics, and a world-class efficiency from Alisson Becker.
Tactical Nightmare However Historic End result
From the outset, Liverpool had been underneath siege. Dr Phil Barter was fast to focus on how a lot PSG dominated possession and territory, remarking, “35% possession for Liverpool in a top-level recreation… discipline tilt of 80-20 is insane.” Liverpool’s ordinary method of controlling play and urgent excessive was nowhere to be seen. As a substitute, they had been pinned again, defending wave after wave of PSG assaults.
Barter added context to simply how relentless PSG’s strain was, explaining, “51 penalty field touches conceded… that’s a penalty field contact each different minute.” To place that into perspective, Liverpool sometimes enable fewer than 10 photographs per recreation, but PSG fired 27 photographs at objective, with 9 on the right track.
Regardless of this, Liverpool by some means weathered the storm. Their defensive form could not have resembled something near the structured programs followers are used to, nevertheless it was efficient in irritating PSG’s star-studded assault.
Alisson Becker: The Holy Goalie
The most important purpose Liverpool emerged victorious was the excellent goalkeeping show from Alisson Becker. Dave Davis summed it up finest when he stated, “We’ll get to the bit the place we proclaim Alisson a human demigod.”
Barter offered the chilly, exhausting stats to again up the sentiment: “9 photographs on the right track confronted, post-shot xG (anticipated targets after a shot is taken) of two.25… that is an all-time efficiency, on par or higher than Courtois’ in opposition to Actual Madrid within the Paris ultimate.”
One save that stood out particularly was Alisson’s reflex cease from shut vary, the place he denied a 40% probability of scoring. “That’s 40% of the time a participant scores from that place – and he saves it,” Barter emphasised.
It wasn’t simply the standard of the saves, however the quantity of labor he needed to do. PSG took 27 photographs whereas having fun with 51% possession, which means Alisson was being referred to as into motion roughly as soon as per minute. His focus, positioning, and reactions had been second to none.
Liverpool’s Assault: A Lone Spark of Magic
Whereas Liverpool’s defensive efficiency will likely be remembered for its grit, the successful objective got here from an unlikely supply—Harvey Elliott. The younger midfielder discovered himself in the fitting place on the proper time to pounce on a rebound, squeezing the ball previous Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Nevertheless, Barter didn’t maintain again in assessing the PSG goalkeeper’s function within the objective: “When you get a hand to it, you most likely ought to reserve it… Alisson would have saved that shot, little question in my thoughts.”
Regardless of the heroics, Liverpool’s attacking numbers had been dismal. Mohamed Salah didn’t register a single shot within the match—an virtually unheard-of statistic within the Champions League. “Mo didn’t have a shot all recreation. That tells you every little thing you have to know,” Barter famous.
Survival Mode and Wanting Forward
Liverpool will take a slender lead into the second leg, nevertheless it’s clear they want a much-improved efficiency at Anfield. Whereas this win showcased the defensive resilience of Arne Slot’s aspect, counting on Alisson to single-handedly carry them by means of each recreation is unsustainable.
Davis summed up the weird nature of the match completely: “Lengthy story brief, all of the metrics sucked, however the final one is that Harvey Elliott took it away and by some means, primarily because of Alisson Becker, the Reds take a 1-0 lead into the second leg.”
Liverpool could not have performed their ordinary expansive, attacking soccer, however with regards to the Champions League, typically you simply have to discover a strategy to win. And on an evening the place PSG dominated every little thing however the scoreline, the Reds did simply that.
