At first glance, it was not immediately obvious that Jurgen Klopp had in fact come off second best on the night.
They were lyrics that would prove prophetic; barely a year later, Klopp's team were champions of Europe. How they got there centred largely around a proactive and aggressive few post-Kiev weeks, where Liverpool fine-tuned their squad to take them from contenders to champions. If Steven Gerrard's thunderbolt against Olympiakos in 2004 was the sliding doors moment for a side who would go on to lift the European Cup in May 2005, Alisson's save was its 2018 equivalent. Without the Brazilian's late intervention, there would be no Madrid, no sixth European Cup or the feelgood factor that emboldened the squad to end a 30-year wait for a domestic league title the following year. Put in those terms, it's difficult to overstate the save's importance.
Even for a sport of such fine margins, that remains a ridiculous thought. "I just had to react quickly, and I think those sorts of things can change games," Stones said after the game. It was quite an understatement given what eventually transpired. A 3-0 first-leg loss was harsh on the night but like Alisson's save and Stones's clearance, it was another moment at the Nou Camp upon which the complexity of the entire campaign shifted. Ousmane Dembele's tame shot late on to make 4-0 should have been stuck away but the weak finish was easily held by Alisson and the reaction of Lionel Messi, who had played his team-mate in, was telling.
Jurgen Klopp UEFA Champions League
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