Alisson Has Now Become Lionel Messi’s Biggest Tormentor In Football

Liverpool star Alisson has become Lionel Messi's worst nightmare for both club and country in the past two seasons.

The Barcelona superstar, 32, was licking his wounds after the Reds shot-stopper superbly denied him an equaliser from a 25-yard free-kick in Argentina's Copa América clash with Brazil.

And the in-form Alisson had the last laugh as his side dumped La Albiceleste out of the semi-finals with a 2-0 win at the Mineirão.

But it's not the first time that the Brazil international has been on a side that has knocked Messi's team out of a competition.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner scored a superb free-kick against the 26-year-old Brazilian in Barcelona's 3-0 win over Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final clash.

But it wasn't enough to stop Jürgen Klopp's men from producing a sensational comeback at Anfield to thrash the Spanish champions 4-0 in the second leg.

Rewind to the 2017-18 campaign and Alisson, who was at Roma, would come up against the Argentine ace in the Champions League.

Barcelona beat the Italian side 4-1 at the Camp Nou in the first leg of their quarter-final clash.

But Alisson and his former teammates would deal another blow to Messi's Champions League ambitions as Roma defeated Barcelona 3-0 in the return leg at the Stadio Olimpico.

Even before Alisson made his way to Anfield, his name was closely linked with Messi.

Former Roma goalkeeping coach Roberto Negrisolo slammed the idea that Alisson was only worth €50m and called him the 'Messi of goalkeeping.'

"Is Alisson worth €50m? Don't be silly, he's worth far more than that," the 75-year-old Italian told Il Romanista newspaper in 2018.

"I don't think many people have realised who Alisson is. This guy is a phenomenon. He is the number one of number ones.

"He is the Messi of goalkeepers, because he has the same mentality as Messi. He is a goalkeeper who can mark an era."

Messi might have been on the receiving end of another defeat to Alisson's side in the Copa América, but Brazil boss Tite couldn't help but praise him for his performance.

"It was a great game, Messi is an extraterrestrial," the 58-year-old Brazilian said.

"He's exceptional, both with and without the ball.

"Regardless of the skills of the other players, he deserves this reverence."

Is Alisson the best 'keeper in the world?

Let us know in the comments.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Liverpool, Football News, Alisson, Football, REds, Barcelona, Lionel Messi, Roma, Argentina, Copa America, Brazil, Barca

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

@AdnanRiaz9