In the summer of 2018, Liverpool were desperate for a new goalkeeper. Loris Karius and Simon Mignolet had competed for the no.1 spot over the previous 12 months, but neither proved to be capable of delivering the necessary consistency required to deliver trophies to Anfield.
The Reds scoured the market for the best available option before identifying Alisson Becker as their top target. The only problem was that Real Madrid seemed to do the same in their search to find a replacement for Keylor Navas.
As Liverpool tried to negotiate a deal to bring the Brazilian to Merseyside, Madrid toyed with the prospect of initiating a bidding war. The Spanish giants eventually opted for Thibaut Courtois instead, allowing Klopp to land Alisson from AS Roma.
Alisson has been an elite signing for Liverpool since his high-profile transfer. He's provided the Reds with what they lacked for most of the Premier League era, acting as a reliable presence between the sticks.
He's a natural sweeper keeper who drifts far from his own penalty box and his ability with the ball at his feet has permitted Liverpool to improve when it comes to building from the back and through the thirds of the pitch.
Alisson has even registered one or two assists since joining, and he scored against West Bromwich Albion last season after getting on the end of a corner before the final whistle blew at the Hawthorns.
His attack-minded game has complemented Klopp's offensive ways, and his shot-stopping ranks amongst the very best in the world, particularly when he's required to engage in one-on-one situations.
This season, he's saved above expectation in comparison to the average goalkeeper, and Expected Goals (xG) can prove it.
According to the shots on target that he's faced in the Premier League this term, Alisson should have been expected to concede around 27.6 goals based on historical data. In reality, he's actually shipped just 23 times which highlights an overperformance of 4.6 goals.
His level of overperformance has been bettered by only a select few goalkeepers this season, including Courtois at the Bernabeu. The Belgian international has faced shots worth 32.4 goals in La Liga this season, but he's conceded just 27 times, indicating an overperformance of 5.4 goals
The duo rank inside the top 15 overperforming goalkeepers in Europe's top five leagues this season. Last season, they both placed inside the top 20, with Alisson in fourth and Courtois in 19th.
The South American has kept a clean sheet in 55% of his matches in the Premier League this term, which is the highest average across Europe. His Madrid rival places sixth, having kept a clean sheet in 44.4% of his games. The former has saved 75.3% of the shots on target that he's faced, compared to 76.7% for the latter.
On Saturday night, Alisson and Courtois will clash at the Stade de France, and with Liverpool's last two finals decided by penalty shootouts, the two no.1s could end up taking centre stage.
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