At the end of a Champions League Final in which skulduggery, fate and blunder conspired to cost Jurgen Klopp the prize, he spent 15 minutes pacing around thunderously before finding deep within himself a consoling word for goalkeeper Loris Karius.
Close observers of the Liverpool manager might agree it was a very rare moment when the relentless positivity and optimism and his brilliant man management failed him.
But it was almost certainly also the moment when the seeds of this incredible season in the Premier League and the remarkable comeback that happened on Tuesday night became possible.
When Alisson was making save after save, denying Lionel Messi three times, Philippe Coutinho, Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba all once, to keep Liverpool’s precious clean sheet in tact it was hard not to think back to Kiev where Karius’s blunders cost so dear.
Yes, Liverpool’s defence has improved since as well. Yes, they have the best full back pairing in the league and, according to his peers, the best player in the league at centre back. And yes, they still have the most potent strike force currently operating (54 goals from just three players).
But it is the man with the gloves who has made the single biggest difference this season.
Klopp remains the alchemist – a super-conductor between the stands and the players on the pitch which transmits belief back and forth – and the single most important figure at the club.
Alisson’s signing for a then record £67million from Roma just eight weeks after they were beaten by Real Madrid in Kiev has been the most important ingredient.
On all measurables Alisson has made a big difference. His shot-stopping, strength and comfort on the ball has made a very good defence near watertight with 20 clean sheets from 37 games.
At times that confidence has led to mistakes like against Leicester City when his attempted Cruyff-turn backfired but his account remains in credit.
In fact, had it not been for his save from a point blank shot from Arkadiusz Milik of Napoli in the second minute of stoppage time in their final group game back in December, Liverpool would not have made the knockout stages of the Champions League let alone be in the final.
Andy Robertson called Alisson’s performance against Barcelona “unbelievable” but both have much to thank each other for.
Barcelona will be heartily sick of the sight of the Brazilian given he was part of the Roma side which managed to overturn a 4-1 first leg deficit from the Nou Camp at the quarter finals stage last season.
The Serie A side won 3-0 in Rome before falling to Liverpool at the semi finals stage. Klopp’s side now have the chance to right the wrong from Kiev in Madrid on June 1.
Liverpool’s inspirational boss told his players that they faced an impossible job at Anfield on Tuesday but, with a masterful piece of man management, that he believed “because it’s you”.
At the end though even he was rubbing his eyes in disbelief and swearing on live TV when asked about his players.
“You play against maybe the best team in the world, you’re not allowed to concede, you have to score,” he said. “Winning is already difficult, but winning with a clean sheet? I don’t know how we did it.
“I don’t know how the boys did it, it was incredible how the boys defended.”
Klopp will know that the job is not done yet, particularly since he has lost the three major European finals he has contested – the 2013 Champions League with Dortmund to Bayern Munich, the 2016 Europa League to Sevilla and the Champions League to Real last May, both with Liverpool.
His record in all cup competitions since winning the 2012 German Cup with Dortmund is six defeats in six finals.
In one sense Liverpool’s players owe Klopp nothing after their remarkable comeback against Barcelona produced one of the finest nights Anfield has witnessed.
They certainly left nothing on the pitch but sweat.
But in another repaying his faith in them by correcting that record in Atletico Madrid’s Wanda Metropolitano Stadium on June 1 would balance things up. And with a decent goalkeeper finally behind them they might just do that.