Pat Nevin heaped praise on Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk after the Dutchman’s instrumental defensive performance in Liverpool’s dramatic 4-0 win against Barcelona on Tuesday.
The 4-0 victory secured Liverpool a stunning comeback against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final second leg, with the Reds losing the first leg 3-0 in Spain as the La Liga champions looked to have given Jurgen Klopp’s side an impossible task in the return leg.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live (10:10pm) Nevin picked out van Dijk as a standout performer for Liverpool, not just in Tuesday’s second leg comeback, but across both matches against Barcelona, saying: “I’m struggling to think of a point in the 180 minutes where Messi got by van Dijk and I don’t know if there was, I don’t think he beat him.”
“He scored two goals but those weren’t by getting by van Dijk in the first leg, he was unbelievable van Dijk today but what help he got from his midfielders.”
OPINION
Nevin is right to praise van Dijk for his impact on the game, as Liverpool produced an historic comeback against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals. The Dutch defender was unbeatable defensively throughout Tuesday’s second leg at Anfield, preventing Barcelona from creating opportunities on the counter attack as Liverpool looked to overturn the three-goal first leg deficit. Van Dijk’s presence was crucial in helping his team-mates remain calm and ride out a spell of Barcelona pressure towards the end of the first half, as the Spanish side grew into the game following a good start from Liverpool. The Netherlands international, as Nevin says, handled the challenge that Lionel Messi provides very well, with the Argentine struggling to beat van Dijk in one on one situations throughout the tie. van Dijk, who one the PFA Player of the Year award for his excellent campaign, was at his best against Barcelona, and the Reds will be hoping for similar performances from the Dutchman, as they hope to overhaul Manchester City on the final day of the Premier League season before contesting the Champions League final.
