Opinion: Alisson rising to challenge of growing demands for club and country

Going into the most important season of his young career, Alisson has certainly not disappointed - and even appears to have taken his game to the next level.

After patiently waiting to call the No. 1 spot at Roma his own, the Brazilian has proven his quality with a fine start to the campaign – shouldering the pressure put upon him for both club and country and, if anything, turning in even better performances as a result.

It’s worth remembering the uncertainty Alisson faced in the summer – with a new coach (Eusebio Di Francesco) at the club, along a new sporting director (Monchi) who had seen very little of him in action, all parties had to show a lot of faith in each other as the No. 1 shirt passed into his hands – especially as many fans bemoaned the exit of the popular Wojciech Szczesny after a two-year loan spell. But under Eusebio Di Francesco the 25 year-old has made an immediate impression, establishing himself among the finest keepers on the peninsula straight out of the gate.

He has already registered five clean sheets in all competitions, including in away wins over Atalanta and AC Milan.

His true coming out party for the Giallorossi, however, was in Roma’s Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid. Playing at home against one of Europe’s premier clubs, the Brazilian put in a man-of-the-match performance – on his competition debut, no less - and helped his side share the spoils in a 0-0 draw.

Throughout the 90 minutes, the former Internacional man’s impressive shot-stopping skills were in evidence. Diego Simeone, a manager known for his touchline antics, may have been hinting at something else in his post-match praise for Alisson, but his comments still rung true.

"Their goalkeeper tonight had a fantastic game," he said.

If Roma are to continue to have success in what appears to be one of the Champions League’s most difficult groups, Alisson will need more performances like this. With back-to-back clashes against Chelsea on the horizon in October, the Brazilian will once again have a platform to showcase his talent.

Alisson’s positive play also extends to the international level with Brazil. After a turbulent spell under Dunga, Tite assumed the reigns of the Seleção and immediately brought stability and fresh ideas. One of his notable changes was naming Alisson as his number one keeper for the 2018 qualifying campaign. The Brazilian has not let his manager down since and has consistently performed for his country when called upon, helping his side comfortably finish first in what is a difficult CONMEBOL group.

In his 16 appearances, the Roma man has registered an impressive nine clean sheets, fighting off competition from the likes of Manchester City’s excellent Ederson – who this summer became, for some, the most expensive goalkeeper in history - for the spot. Even as he spent most of last season on the Roma bench, Alisson has only missed one of Brazil’s 17 qualifiers, a 2-0 loss against Chile, and this term seems to have repaid the faith Tite showed him when he was not playing much at club level.

Going into the World Cup with a contender tag, Alisson and Brazil are well aware of what is expected of them. Equally, however, Alisson knows his current status for his country relies on him continuing to perform strongly for his club. Until now, this motivation and pressure has worked positively for the keeper and he has responded brilliantly.

Earlier in the season, Alisson spoke about making the most of the chances he’s been presented with at club and international level.

"This is an important time for me," Alisson said. "I have the chance to start for Roma and I am happy to have the same confidence with the national team.

“We will be happy to continue as we have been doing, and arrive in good form ahead of the World Cup in Russia next summer."

With Roma off to a solid start at home and in Europe, the tests only keep coming for the goalkeeper. The month of October sees clashes with Napoli and the English champions and Roma, simply put, will need results from those games.

Alisson will need to be at his shot-stopping best and, if his career is anything to go by, he will only use such high-profile games to further enhance his reputation. It’s what he’s been doing his entire career.