Virgil van Dijk: Liverpool star's 1v1 battles captured in brilliant video

In Liverpool‘s 2-0 victory over Inter Milan, Virgil van Dijk reminded everyone that he’s still the best defender in world football.

The Dutchman was an absolute rock at the back throughout the entirety of the last-16 Champions League encounter at San Siro and was deservedly handed the Man of the Match award at full-time.

Inter’s array of talented forwards just couldn’t lay a glove on Van Dijk, with strike duo Lautaro Martinez and Edin Dzeko – two of the finest in the business – both finding out how hard it is to beat the centre-back 1v1.

As we reported HERE, Martinez pretty much gave up on a counterattack when he realised he’d have to get past Van Dijk in order to test Alisson Becker in the Liverpool goal.

Dzeko didn’t abandon his pursuit into the penalty area, but still felt the full force of the Dutch defender’s athleticism and supreme footballing intelligence after actually taking a decent first touch.

Following those two standout moments featuring Van Dijk on Wednesday evening, one Liverpool fan has created a quite marvellous compilation that includes some of the former Southampton man’s most epic 1v1 battles.

Spoiler alert, Van Dijk emerges victorious in every clip…

Virgil Van Dijk – The Art of 1 v 1 Defendingpic.twitter.com/aq8hY5oufJ

Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Heung-min Son, Adama Traore and many other feared attack-minded footballers have tried to get the better of Van Dijk – and failed.

Liverpool’s pragmatic genius just makes it look so, so easy as well and there’s no other defender on the planet you’d rather have in a 1v1 situation.

Yes, that includes Ruben Dias and Antonio Rudiger.

Van Dijk wasn’t at his brilliant, commanding best at the very start of the 2021/22 season after finally overcoming