Liverpool is out of the Champions League after Paris Saint-Germain made history to knock them on the penalty at Anfield.
PSG was aiming to become the first team to ever knock Liverpool from a European tie after the Reds had won the first game away from home and reached the place after Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones saw Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The French champions were entering it with a 1-0 deficit from the Paris game last week, but Ousmene Dembele flattened it early in the game from the near distance and, improperly, it ended 1-1 in the aggregate with any pair able to find the net again.
Arne Slot’s side could count himself for unfortunate not to score, Mohamed Salah losing two presentable opportunities before the goal of Dembele and Dominik Szoboszlai having a goal allowed for offside. Jarell Quansah approached closer, his head turned from inside the post.
But PSGs were worthy of their two -legged victory and will now play the winner of Aston Villa and Club Brugge in the last eight.
Slot’s task is to take his players for the Carabao Cup final on Sunday, including Nunez and Jones, while Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima conates left. The Premier League title hosts, but Liverpool’s European dream is over this season.
Slot: Best game ever included
Liverpool coach Arne Slot speaking at the press conference:
“It was the best football game in which I was ever involved. I don’t have Liverpool’s story as a manager. Two teams at an extraordinary level.
“It was unbelievable what we showed in the first 25 minutes. Over 90 minutes I don’t think we deserved to lose this football game today. Over 180 minutes I think it was probably deserved to go overtime. In over time, PSG was a little better than us.
“Of course, it’s a friend. Maybe it’s not the time to tell them now, but last season we were not involved in the Champions League. If you have to go out, then go out how we did against one of the best teams in Europe and making a fight for it.”
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Adam Bate joins Vinny O’Connor to discuss the Liverpool Champions League’s exit at PSG in Penalty in Anfield.
Van Dijk: It was there for Liverpool
Liverpool captain Virgil van dijk talking about Amazon Prime Video:
“It was a very strong, great football game to be part of it. It was completely there for Liverpool, with what we showed in Paris. In Paris, we fought, but we won. Today, we saw a very good side of Liverpool, but we are out of competition.”
Unfinished business for Liverpool?
There will be a big disappointment in Liverpool because entering this game all seemed before them. With the hard work seemed to be done in Paris, they were well established for a possible tie with Aston Villa for which they would be heavy favorites.
While Luis Enrique, the PSG coach, had put it before, ‘whoever wins will pass in the finals, I have no doubt.’ Whether he is right or not, it will not be Liverpool now. With the title of all but confident, the Carabao Cup final suddenly becomes their biggest game.
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Speaking after Liverpool’s loss to PSG for Anfield penalties in the Champions League, Paul Merson suggested that the biggest winners from the game are Newcastle United ahead of Sunday’s final at Carabao Cup.
They will surely do so without Alexander-Arnold even if Slot played the apparent damage to Ibrahima contes. But how will Darwin Nunez feel after this Arameo for unfortunate, Curtis Jones too? The challenge will be the concentration of minds.
Perspective is also required. The Premier League title Mimi never won in front of fans, is massive for Liverpool – and more than they could hope in August. It is just that at the top of the Champions League phase did he promised even more…
Luis Enrique: Both teams deserved to pass
Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique talking about Amazon Prime Video:
“It doesn’t matter if we deserve the victory. Both teams deserved to pass. We were better in Paris and they were better here. My team showed great personality and character in Anfield. The atmosphere was great and it was difficult.
“When the draw came out as Liverpool against Paris, both managers thought the same thing: one of the best games you can see in Europe. The Champions League has nothing to do with sustainability. You have to be great at moments. We suffered a lot.”
Match player: Ganluigi Donnarumma
Football is a strange game. Alisson wins the player of the match in Paris but six days later, and is his opposite Donnarumma number leaving the Liverpool award, his two penalties saves that they received PSG in the quarter -finals of the competition.
Donnarumma pushed some shots away from danger during 120 minutes, but his pure sheet owed much to the defensive work of those before him – no less Nuno Mendes, who – again – Marshalled Salah better than anyone in the Premier League.
Nunez telegraphed his sentence a little, but she was hit hard and demanded an impressive stop by the Italian goalkeeper. His stop to keep Jones’ efforts going to the next direction, but sealed Liverpool’s fate. Another game for goalkeepers.
