Liverpool have the best defensive record in this season's Champions League and have not conceded a goal in over 350 minutes under Arne Slot in Europe

Caoimhin Kelleher, Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool celebrate the team's victory at full-time at Leipzig Stadium(Image: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

Having watched former club Liverpool beat Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 on Tuesday night, Thiago Alcantara had just one simple, yet effective message for one team-mate in particular as he made his way around Anfield after the game.

As the former midfielder emerged from out of the players' lounge and into the mixed zone area where the media were waiting, the booming shout of "Ibouuuu" in the direction of Ibrahima Konate said it all about how things had gone for the Reds on the night against the Bundesliga champions.

?

The seven players who have scored Champions League hat-tricks for Liverpool as Luis Diaz joins exclusive list	Brighton duo waited for Alexis Mac Allister in Anfield tunnel after Liverpool win	Two Brighton players waited for Alexis Mac Allister in Liverpool tunnel after dramatic scenes

It was a unique critique from the recently retired Thiago that caught a delighted Konate by genuine surprise before the pair embraced and quickly caught up.

READ MORE:Xabi Alonso dismisses Jamie Carragher 'lies' accusation as Liverpool star fumes at Florian WirtzREAD MORE:'No point' - Virgil van Dijk rejects Xabi Alonso Liverpool theory as counter argument made

And while all the chatter around the game centred around the return of one elegant former Liverpool midfielder in Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, Thiago's attendance on the night was simply a watching brief, as the recently retired star caught a glimpse of how his old colleagues are shaping up under a new regime, helmed by Arne Slot.

?

The ex-Barcelona and Bayern Munich star can't have failed to have been impressed by the likes of Ryan Gravenebrch, Alexis Mac Allister and Curtis Jones in the Reds' engine room, but it was at the back where Liverpool continued their season-long excellence.

Having fallen behind to AC Milan after just three minutes in the San Siro back in September, Liverpool have since gone 357 minutes without conceding a goal in the Champions League.

Even without the gilded Alisson Becker for the last two fixtures against RB Leipzig and Leverkusen, the Reds have been able to shut out the Bundesliga duo to help themselves into top spot of the revamped, 36-team league.

"I think if you think about the Brighton game, they have a specific way of playing so if your press is not the best they will punish you for it, go through the press [and create]," says Virgil van Dijk when asked how the results are being achieved just now.

?

"So I have said it many times, we're still a work in progress, the manager wants us to defend in a certain way and we try to do that and solve things on the pitch as best we can.

"It doesn't always go perfect as you've obviously seen in so many games but the good thing is, and we mentioned this yesterday as well, that we make sure we are willing to defend, so when they beat the press we are back to not concede any chances or crosses or whatever."

Slot's 16 games in charge have seen the team ship just nine goals, two of which came in a much-changed Carabao Cup team for a 3-2 win over Brighton last week.

Clean sheets have been kept in eight games and just the one conceded in the new-look European Cup is a major reason why they sit top of the pile presently.

?

The xG of the Champions League opposition so far, in fact, is evidence for just how strong Slot's Reds have been at the back, with figures between 0.6 and 0.8 for all four games with Milan, Bologna, Leipzig and Leverkusen.

Opposition teams aren't even getting gilt-edged chances to spur, it seems.

"I'm very proud of the team because it was a very good game against a very good team, we know how good they are," Konate said to LFCTV, just moments before his interaction with Thiago.

But this was a night for us."

?

The Reds have the most miserly defence in both the Premier League and the Champions League with just the seven goals given away in 14 fixtures, but arguably the toughest European test now awaits when Champions League holders Real Madrid visit with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham all in their ranks.

The organisation of the backline has undoubtedly been aided by the form of Mac Allister and Gravenberch ahead of them in the two deeper midfield positions, but such an imperious early-season record is beginning to make a mockery of extreme criticism of Trent Alexander-Arnold's defensive capabilities in particular.

Neither the chopping and changing of Kostas Tsimikas and Andy Robertson on the left side nor the injury to Alisson have done little to hamper the consistency levels, either.

The form, fitness and quality of Konate and Van Dijk, now settled as regular partners, has perhaps been the biggest factor behind such impressive defensive numbers.

?

"There are so many moments and things in games that we are doing well and I think so far, so good in terms of results," adds Van Dijk.