In true centre-back style, Ibrahima Konate probably left Lisbon thinking more about what he did in his own penalty area than Benfica's on Tuesday night.
It was a milestone moment for the Liverpool defender as he registered his first goal for the Reds with an excellent header, but he was likely reflecting about the second-half mishap that allowed Darwin Nunez to reduce arrears more when the flight left Portugal later that night.
Such is the life of a defender at the elite level, but one miscue aside, Konate will be able to reflect on another impressive night in his fledgling Liverpool career after they took a big stride towards the Champions League semi-finals at Estadio da Luz.
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Konate's first-half header saw him become the 20th different goalscorer for Jurgen Klopp this season but it will have been his work at the back alongside Virgil van Dijk that will have pleased the manager more. The quietly impressive adaptation to Liverpool life goes on for the young and assuming Frenchman.
For a fanbase that spent the first half of 2021 crying out for a top-class addition to the centre-back department at Anfield, Konate's fortunes have gone under the radar somewhat since his debut in September.
The summer returns of Joel Matip, Joe Gomez and Van Dijk and the ensuing excitement that followed - particularly in the latter's case - moved the spotlight away from Konate following his £36m move from RB Leipzig in July.
With the benefit of hindsight, that the fixation was on the comebacks of Matip, Gomez and Van Dijk will have helped Konate immensely as he aimed to get fully adjusted to the virtually unique way of defending at Anfield. It's a style that requires pace but also bravery, communication and trust to execute the trademark high line effectively.
Having him report for duty one day one of pre-season in mid-July was crucial to getting to grips with things at Liverpool too. That was one of the big reasons there was a keen desire to getting the deal concluded with minimal fuss before the summer schedule got underway.
"There are a few things which will be different for him from Leipzig coming to Liverpool," said assistant manager Peter Krawietz at the time. "Giving him enough time to adapt, to learn, to know the coaching staff and the manager, to give him time to adapt to the whole process of the pre-season and tactically to learn about our style of play – which is not completely different but the details are the most important thing – and to adapt in a physical way [is important]."
After a season without senior centre-halves, Liverpool suddenly had four before the season got underway and as a result all eyes were not directly on Konate. That will have been helpful to him.
Liverpool were adamant that their new boy had the traits needed to prosper within that defensive framework when they signed him from Leipzig. Such was their insistence that he was the right man for them that his signing was actually confirmed before last season had technically ended.
Konate was announced as a future Reds player just days after the Premier League had concluded and before Chelsea met Manchester City in the Champions League final on May 30.
Having tracked him for some time, he was placed at the top of a shortlist that included Ozan Kabak, a player who was already at the club on loan, and Marseille's Duje Caleta-Car, someone who had been a target for the winter window before attention turned elsewhere.
Scouts also watched Ben White closely during his time at Brighton before a £50m switch to Arsenal was completed around a month after Liverpool had confirmed Konate's summer arrival. Such was the club's depleted reserves at centre-back in January 2021 that the idea of bringing in Konate six months earlier was explored before it quickly became apparent that Leipzig had no appetite for losing him mid-season.
Anfield officials were firm in their belief that the 22-year-old could grow into one of the finest all-round defenders in European football and after a positive first campaign on Merseyside, there is little to dispute that particular prediction, even if the more experienced Matip remains the first-choice to be Van Dijk's partner for Klopp at present.
Konate has made just eight Premier League appearances in his maiden campaign and while the 5-0 win at Manchester United stands out as the undoubted highlight in October, the Paris-born defender has enjoyed his best moments in the Champions League where he has helped Klopp's men to victories over AC Milan, Porto, Inter and now Benfica.
Having Konate around at a time when Gomez is still searching for top speed after such a debilitating lay-off has been integral to Klopp keeping his side in the hunt for all four trophies this season. Matip's injury concerns throughout his time on Merseyside, meanwhile, mean he has had to be managed carefully, so having the £36m man to call on when required cannot be overstated, even if a no-frills style of defending means he has not garnered attention from outside the Anfield bubble.
"He's a young player, a big talent with a lot of qualities," said Alisson Becker after Tuesday night's win. "He is a good defender, a top guy and a really nice person as well."
As the plot thickens in the coming days and weeks at Anfield, expect Konate to be called upon with perhaps more frequency than ever by Klopp.
