Mamardashvili or Alisson in 2025? A Comparative Analysis of Their Skills and Styles | OneFootball

Mamardashvili or Alisson in 2025? A Comparative Analysis of Their Skills and Styles

Liverpool did not have an active summer transfer campaign by any means, and incoming coach Arne Slot will be working more or less with the same group of players that were there in Jurgen Klopp’s final year at Anfield.

Nevertheless, the Reds made a big investment into their future as they secured the signing of goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia in a move reportedly worth €30 million. While the Georgian signed a contract with Liverpool, he immediately returned to Valencia on loan and is expected to arrive at Anfield only in 2025.

In the meantime, Alisson will continue as the starting goalkeeper. His solid performances are reflected by football analysts in their evaluations for example, in the ClubSport predictions, and the high team strength score given by them to the Reds. However, it is impossible to ignore that the Brazilian shot-stopper is ageing and had injury issues in 2023/24.

With that in mind, this article will offer a comparison of the two goalkeepers in terms of style and abilities and predict Mamardashvili’s potential future at Liverpool.

Alisson v Mamardashvili: Similarities

The main point of similarity between Alisson and Mamardashvili – and perhaps the reason why Liverpool opted for Giorgi as a future successor – is that both goalkeepers are world-class shot-stoppers.

The Liverpool fans are already accustomed to Allison’s incredible saves, and many had the chance to fall in love with Mamardashvili during the UEFA Euros 2024 when the Georgia international proved himself on the big stage. The match stats can be accessed on sites like ClubSport.

Both players pass the eye test but it is best when the impressions are backed by facts and stats. Thus, in the past year, Alisson has had a save percentage of 74.5% according to FBREF, while Mamardashvili’s save percentage was at 73.5% – a difference of just one percentage point!

The Brazilian performs better in terms of conceded goals (0.90) and clean sheet percentage (43.3%) per 90 minutes compared to the Georgian (1.21 and 33.3% respectively). But it should also be taken into consideration that Mamardashvili plays for a weaker team, he does not have Virgil van Dijk leading the backline. Adjusting for this factor, the numbers are quite similar.

Alisson v Mamardashvili: Differences

Before going into details, it needs to be said that Mamardashvili is an old-school goalkeeper, and that is what sets him apart from Alisson the most. This is evidenced by Giorgi’s defensive actions outside the penalty box and his passing.

While Alisson makes roughly 45 touches per 90 minutes, Mamardashvili makes just 35. The difference may seem insignificant at first sight, but the fact is that the Brazilian is in the 86th percentile when it comes to this stat, while his younger counterpart barely breaks into the 25th percentile.

As for passing, Mamardashvili had a 53% completion rate in the previous league campaign, far below Alisson’s 83% completion rate. Certainly, some of it is explained by Giorgi attempting long passes and throws more often, but it also means that he will need to adapt to a new set of requirements at Anfield.

The Liverpool loanee is also more hesitant to leave the penalty box, with just 0.96 defensive actions per game. Alisson, meanwhile, makes 1.40 defensive actions per 90 minutes and also tends to go further up the pitch when the situation requires it.

Finally, there are some stats in which the new signing outperforms the Anfield guardian. Mamardashvili has a better score in post-shot expected goals (0.31 v 0.26), indicating that he is more likely to save a difficult shot. He also tends to perform better with penalties and with crosses, taking full advantage of his 6 ft 6 height.

Mamardashvili’s Potential Future Role at Anfield

There should be no doubt about Mamardashvili – he is an amazing shot-stopper, perhaps even better than Alisson. However, a modern goalkeeper needs to do more than prevent the ball from crossing the line. This may prove a challenge for Giorgi once he joins the Reds. Particularly, the 23-year-old may experience difficulties when asked to participate in build-up or cover-up for the defence.

In the summer of 2025, when Mamardashvili is scheduled to arrive at Anfield, Alisson will be 33. The best course of action for the 2025/26 season may be for Giorgi to accept a rotational role as he gradually adapts to the new playing philosophy, requirements and intensity. In the meantime, he could play in the cup matches or the occasional Premier League game against the relegation contenders.

The big decision regarding who should be the number one goalkeeper at Liverpool could be delayed until 2026 when Alisson will be pushing 34 years old and entering the last year of his contract.