We knew it, The fact that Van Dijk is playing better than Messi

Netherlands defender Virgil van Dijk is on a roll, and through his performances he has brought results for the Reds, who are beginning to find themselves back in contention for European places after an atypical start to the Premier League season where they are in 8th place on 16 points. Van Dijk has had a great season, playing in every game of the season, both in the league, UEFA Champions League and with his national team in the last UEFA Nations League.

Van Dijk, who arrived at Anfield in the 2017 winter window for an astronomical fee of 85 million, has become an icon of The Pool as he has been a key player in the club's bid to win a hat-trick of titles in 2019; Premier League, Club World Cup, European Super Cup and Champions League, the latter being the 31-year-old centre-back's favourite tournament and one in which he is currently enjoying a huge moment.

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For this 22/23 edition, the Red's have qualified for their fifth consecutive Round of 16 exit, all while joining SSC Napoli, who dominate Group A with an astonishing 15-point unbeaten run. It is therefore in large part down to the defensive backline, where they have shone at the back, led by van Dijk, who boasts a record that surpasses even Lionel Messi.

The former Celtic man has had more touches in the opposition box (19) than Lionel Messi (15) in the Champions League this season, making clear the multi-functional role he has developed under the tutelage of Jürgen Klopp, who also celebrates the Dutchman's neatness in having only two yellow cards in the last six months, along with the goal he has scored in the Premier League, when he scored in the drubbing of Bournemouth.

Van Dijk has more touches in the box than Messi

Van Dijk came through the ranks at FC Groningen in the Eredivisie in 2011, where he stayed for a couple of years before joining Scottish side Celtic FC in 2013 and then moving to the Premier League with FC Sothampton in 2015. It's also worth mentioning that it's a World Cup year and Liverpool FC will be breaking ranks in two weeks to release their star players for Qatar, with van Dijk leading the way.