Paris Saint-Germain 0-1 Liverpool: Harvey Elliott's late strike seals dramatic win for Reds in Champions League last-16 first leg
Harvey Elliott emerged as Liverpool’s hero with a dramatic late winner, scoring just 47 seconds after coming on as a substitute to snatch a 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie. Despite being outplayed for much of the match, the visitors secured a crucial away win in Paris on Wednesday, thanks to Elliott’s 87th-minute strike following a clever layoff from Darwin Núñez.
Liverpool had goalkeeper Alisson to thank for keeping them in the game, as the Brazilian shot-stopper produced a series of outstanding saves to deny PSG’s relentless attacks. The Reds’ winning goal came from their first shot on target and only their second attempt overall, compared to the hosts’ staggering 28 efforts.
"To go away with a win from here was probably a bit more than we deserved," admitted manager Arne Slot.
Luis Enrique’s PSG, boasting an impressive unbeaten run of 18 wins and two draws in their last 20 games, will now face an uphill battle in the return leg at Anfield next Tuesday. Midfielder Vitinha remained defiant, stating, "We're going to show the team we are, we're going to show our character. We're going to win there."
PSG dominated proceedings from the start, with Liverpool’s pressing game proving ineffective. The hosts created early chances, including a missed opportunity by João Neves and a disallowed goal for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia after a VAR review. Bradley Barcola also had a penalty appeal waved away following a challenge from Ibrahima Konaté.
Alisson delivered a stunning performance, making crucial stops against Neves, Ousmane Dembélé, and Kvaratskhelia to keep Liverpool in contention. "Without him, I don't know where we'd be," said Elliott, recognizing the keeper’s match-winning display.
As the game neared its conclusion, Liverpool made key substitutions, bringing on Curtis Jones and Núñez in an attempt to shift momentum. Though PSG continued to press, Alisson played a pivotal role in the decisive goal, launching a long ball that Núñez controlled before setting up Elliott, who coolly slotted past Gianluigi Donnarumma.
"You could see they (PSG) had become a bit tired at the end," Elliott reflected. "It was down to me to put the opportunity away and fortunately it went in."
Named man of the match, Alisson described the result as "a tough night with a happy end," adding, "We worked hard. We gave away so many chances... And then at the end, Harvey coming in and scoring the goal. It's unbelievable. A great story. A great night for us."
The aggregate winner of this tie will face either Aston Villa or Club Brugge in the Champions League quarter-finals, with Liverpool now holding the advantage ahead of the decisive second leg at Anfield.
SportsLigue