Liverpool analysis: Alisson save and Mohamed Salah vital at either end as Reds fight on

Football fans around the world will always believe that their team - unlike others - prefer to do things the hard way.

For Liverpool supporters, there is a kernel of truth in such declarations but, in reality, they should expect nothing else when it comes to the Champions League.

The quality of the opposition, particularly in the group they were handed this year, ensures it’s always going to be difficult to progress through this competition.

And so a winner-takes-all final group game against Napoli was perhaps nothing less than they should have expected.

In the end, all that mattered was getting through, and that’s precisely what Jurgen Klopp’s team managed to do courtesy of a 1-0 win.

That they were made to fight for it only makes the end result more satisfying, and they can now rest easy until February safe in the knowledge that no Europa League trips await.

Instead, all focus turns to Sunday’s meeting with Manchester United and a chance to turn a big week into a perfect one.

Alisson does it again on the big stage

Alisson Becker arrived at Anfield billed as one of the world’s best goalkeepers and has wasted little time in adding to that reputation.

The Brazilian is making jaw-dropping saves with increasing regularity of late, and none more important than that seen in the final minutes tonight.

Arkadiusz Milik looked a dead-cert to score when Fabinho’s header reached him but, before he could pull his leg back, Alisson was on top of him to smother the shot.

It was a contribution just as vital as Mohamed Salah’s goal, one that strengthened Alisson’s growing claim to be the best in his position in the world.

Koulibaly sums up the life of a defender

For half an hour at Anfield, Kalidou Koulibaly looked to be producing a defending masterclass as he dominated his individual battle with Salah.

But, in the blink of an eye, the Senegalese was watching on with twisted blood as the Reds’ No.11 was slotting the ball under David Ospina to make it 1-0.

Salah’s goal helped sum up of the life of a defender in many ways: it only takes one moment of brilliance from an opponent to mess up everything that has gone before.

Despite the result, Koulibaly can come away from tonight’s game knowing he put in a performance worthy of putting his team through to the Champions League knockout stages.

But most the time there’s only so much one man - one defender, in fact - can do.

Van Dijk a big loss for next Euro game

On first inspection, Virgil van Dijk’s last-ditch sliding tackle on Dries Mertens looked to be nothing more than a piece of world-class defending.

But, as replays served to show, the Dutchman fully deserved the subsequent booking for a follow-through that caught Mertens high on the ankle.

It wasn’t clear which competition it would apply to at the time, but Liverpool now know they will be without their influential centre-half for their next Champions League outing due to a suspension resulting from that yellow.

It may be a while away, but kicking off a last-16 tie without Van Dijk in the side already sounds like a worrying prospect.

Firmino flourishes on return to false nine

Having endured a mixed run of form of late, Roberto Firmino looked firmly back to his best as Liverpool took on Napoli.

And that might have something do with his return to a ‘false nine’ role after spending plenty of time in recent games playing a No.10 in a 4-2-3-1.

The Brazilian did not seem a natural fit for the centre-forward position when first used there by Klopp, but now it seems he is wasted anywhere else on the pitch.

He should not be the one to pay for a failure to add another No.10 over the summer - if nothing else, Liverpool can’t afford to lose him up front.

Alexander-Arnold withdrawal a huge worry

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s late withdrawal just moments after going down for treatment could well indicate that Klopp is about to have another defensive headache to deal with.

With Joe Gomez out injured and Nathaniel Clyne well short of match fitness, the German’s options at right-back are starting to run out.

Could James Milner be set to reprise the role he occupied at Bournemouth in the long term?

The Englishman didn’t disgrace himself there, though his presence in midfield would be a big miss in games of a certain magnitude.