Battle Spirit Ablaze, Match Begins

Tap!

Alisson's fingertips brushed the ball in front of goal. The rapidly spinning shot instantly changed trajectory, skimming over the crossbar and out for a corner.

The Blues supporters in the stands clutched their heads and cried out in anguish, while the Reds supporters clenched their fists and roared.

"Alisson! He saved Messi's shot!" Zhan Jun's voice trembled with barely restrained excitement.

"Messi, still the same Messi! But Liverpool's goalkeeper has become Alisson!"

"Hehe, if that had been last season, it would have been hard to say whether Mignolet could have saved it."

"But look at Alisson's reaction speed and the way he stretched himself out. That's the difference between a world-class goalkeeper and a good one."

"Liverpool's thirty million pounds spent this summer was worth it."

Van Dijk walked over and bumped chests with Alisson.

Both men let out a roar. The new defensive partners completed a silent affirmation in that moment.

Klopp applauded from the sidelines and gave Alisson a thumbs-up.

Corner kick.

Fabregas swung it in, but Van Dijk got to the near post first and headed it clear from the box.

Though Messi's shot had not resulted in a goal, Chelsea's morale seemed to have been stirred.

Unlike Conte's defensive counterattacking approach last season, Chelsea had clearly displayed a different style this season.

Sarri's tactical system bore some similarities to Klopp's: high pressing, possession football taken to the extreme, and a pursuit of fluidity in the buildup.

Their first response after losing the ball in attack was not to fall back, but to press immediately and pin the battle near the halfway line.

Every time Liverpool tried to play the ball out, they had to withstand Chelsea's tight pressure.

Moreover, the biggest difference between this Chelsea side and last season's was that even Hazard frequently dropped