Liverpool 0-1 Paris Saint-Germain (1-1 agg) (1-4 pens): PSG edge Reds in thrilling shootout to secure quarter-final spot
Paris Saint-Germain booked their place in the Champions League quarter-finals with a dramatic 4-1 penalty shootout victory over Liverpool after a tense 1-0 win at Anfield on Tuesday. Ousmane Dembélé’s early strike leveled the tie at 1-1 on aggregate before PSG held their nerve from the spot, with Gianluigi Donnarumma making crucial saves to send the Ligue 1 leaders through.
The French giants, still chasing their first Champions League title, will now face either Aston Villa or Club Brugge in the next round, with Villa holding a 3-1 advantage ahead of Wednesday’s second leg.
Dembélé silenced the home crowd in the 12th minute, capitalizing on a defensive mix-up. Ibrahima Konaté’s attempted block diverted the ball away from Alisson, allowing the winger to fire into an empty net. It was the fastest goal Liverpool had conceded at Anfield in the Champions League since 2017.
Despite falling behind, Arne Slot’s side showed a marked improvement from their first-leg performance. Mohamed Salah nearly provided an immediate response, only for Nuno Mendes to clear his effort off the line. Donnarumma was called into action early, making a diving save to deny Konaté, as both sides squandered chances in an end-to-end battle.
Liverpool dominated much of the second half, pinning PSG deep in their own half. They thought they had found a breakthrough when Dominik Szoboszlai found the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside. As the pressure mounted, Donnarumma repeatedly kept the Reds at bay, producing a string of late saves to force extra time.
Dembélé nearly won it for PSG in the additional period, unleashing a fierce shot that seemed destined for the net before Alisson made a spectacular fingertip save. However, in the penalty shootout, PSG remained composed. Vitinha, Gonçalo Ramos, Dembélé, and Désiré Doué all converted their spot kicks, while Donnarumma denied both Darwin Núñez and Curtis Jones after Salah had given Liverpool an early lead. A disheartened Núñez was consoled by Slot as PSG celebrated a famous victory.
Reflecting on the loss, the Liverpool manager remained upbeat despite the disappointment. "I think it was the best game of football I’ve ever been involved in," he said. "We ran out of luck maybe after last week. After 90 minutes, we played the perfect game except for not scoring."
PSG made history by becoming just the fourth team to overturn a first-leg home defeat in the knockout stages of the Champions League. "Both teams deserve to go to the next phase," said PSG boss Luis Enrique. "They played better than us here, but my team showed great personality and character in a special stadium like Anfield."
The traveling PSG supporters, undeterred by the cold, celebrated wildly as their team progressed. Liverpool must quickly regroup, with a crucial League Cup final against Newcastle United looming on Sunday. "Obviously, you can be disappointed because we’re out of the competition, but chin up and get ready for the next challenge, a beautiful one on the weekend," captain Virgil van Dijk urged his teammates.
SportsLigue