By Liverpool’s Champions League journey came to a heartbreaking end as Paris Saint-Germain etched their name into the history books with a dramatic penalty shootout victory at Anfield. The French champions became the first team ever to eliminate Liverpool from a European knockout tie after losing the first leg at home, overcoming a 1-0 deficit from the game in Paris to triumph in an electrifying contest.
Despite Liverpool’s electric start, PSG held firm, forcing the match into penalties after a tense 1-1 aggregate scoreline. The Reds were left ruing missed chances as Gianluigi Donnarumma emerged as the hero, denying both Darwin Núñez and Curtis Jones in the shootout to send PSG into the quarterfinals, where they will face the winner between Aston Villa and Club Brugge.
With Anfield roaring behind them, Liverpool started on the front foot, carving out early chances. Mohamed Salah, usually so clinical, spurned two golden opportunities before PSG made them pay. Ousmane Dembélé silenced the home crowd with an ice-cool finish from close range, leveling the tie just minutes into the match.
Liverpool responded with relentless pressure, with Dominik Szoboszlai finding the net, only for his effort to be ruled out for offside. Jarell Quansah came agonizingly close, his powerful header rattling off the inside of the post, but luck deserted the Reds in front of goal.
With neither side able to find the decisive goal in normal or extra time, the contest was settled from the penalty spot. Liverpool’s nerves were exposed as Donnarumma made two crucial saves, denying Núñez and Jones, while PSG converted all their spot-kicks with precision to seal a historic victory.
For Arne Slot’s men, the defeat is a bitter pill to swallow. Liverpool had hoped to continue their European adventure, but now their focus must shift to domestic ambitions. Injuries to Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konaté add further concerns ahead of their Carabao Cup final showdown on Sunday, with the Premier League title race still in their sights.
Speaking after the game, Liverpool head coach Arne Slot hailed the intensity of the contest while acknowledging the disappointment of the result:
“It was the best game of football I was ever involved in. I don’t have the history of Liverpool as a manager. Two teams at an incredible level.”
“This was unbelievable what we showed in the first 25 minutes. Over 90 minutes I do not think we deserved to lose this game of football today. Over 180 minutes I think maybe it was deserved we went to overtime. In overtime, PSG were a bit better than us.”
“Of course, it is a shock. Maybe it is not the moment 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 of it.”
While Liverpool’s Champions League hopes are over for this season, the battle for silverware is far from finished. Now, they must regroup, recover, and turn their attention to the domestic front as they chase glory on multiple fronts.
