Not for the first time this season, Liverpool were indebted to Caoimhin Kelleher as he pulled off an exceptional early save against Atalanta at Anfield tonight.
Inside the opening five minutes, the Irishman was called upon to deny Mario Pasalic from close range, blocking the ball with his face as he well and truly put his body on the line for his side.
Subsequent camera close-ups showed visible scars on the 25-year-old’s left cheek after he took one for the team, and his teammates in front of him will have been breathing a sigh of relief after some ponderous defending in the lead-up to the Croatian’s shot.
Any team in the world would miss Alisson Becker, but Kelleher has made the Brazilian’s injury absence a whole lot easier to negotiate, with this save arguably the best of an impressive lot.
You can view Kelleher’s heroic save below, via @footballontnt on X:
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