Liverpool vs PSG LIVE: Champions League result and reaction after penalty shoot-out at Anfield
Liverpool 0-1 Paris Saint-Germain (1-1 on aggregate, PSG win 4-1 on penalties): Gianluigi Donnarumma made saves from Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones as the Reds were knocked out at Anfield
Liverpool are out of the Champions League after Paris Saint-Germain overturned a first-leg defeat and held their nerve to win on penalties at Anfield.
The Reds suffered their first major blow under Arne Slot as Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones saw their efforts saved by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and PSG scored all of theirs.
Luis Enrique’s team won 1-0 on the night as Ousmane Dembele cancelled out Harvey Elliott’s late winner in the Parc des Princes last week.
Dembele levelled the tie after just 11 minutes and, despite a bright start from Liverpool, it gave PSG the momentum to dominate the first half.
Liverpool were the better team after the break but could not make the most of their superiority and PSG survived long spells of pressure to reach extra time.
And Liverpool are facing a defensive injury crisis before Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Newcastle after Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konate were forced off.
Follow live reaction from a dramatic night in the Champions League below
Liverpool face injury crisis before Carabao Cup final
Liverpool are facing a defensive injury crisis before Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Newcastle after Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konate were forced off during the Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
Alexander-Arnold looked to suffer a suspected ankle injury before Konate was substituted in extra time and limped off. Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley are currently unavailable due to injuries, which could leave Liverpool fielding Wataru Endo as a makeshift option at centre-back and Jarell Quansah at right back.
Arne Slot said Alexander-Arnold is unlikely to be fit for the Carabao Cup final after the right back appeared to twist his ankle when sliding into a challenge on PSG’s Vitinha on the touchline, but the head coach said Konate may be available as the France international was fatigued with the Champions League tie entering extra time.
“I have to ask but for me Ibou was tired [rather] than an injury but Trent had to come off,” Slot said after Liverpool’s defeat on penalties. “That is never a good sign and from people who saw it, it didn’t look good so I would be surprised if he is available on Sunday.”
Alexander-Arnold and Konate update ahead of Liverpool’s Carabao Cup final
Without the superstars, Luis Enrique has achieved the impossible at PSG
It was not Luis Enrique’s greatest remontada. But then, how could it be? Not after he once conjured a 6-1 win to overturn a Champions League deficit. That involved Paris Saint-Germain, too. But, eight years on from a seminal night for Barcelona came a superb one for his victims then.
The round of 16 can be the round of PSG; or the round they depart the Champions League, anyway. Not this time.
On 39 previous occasions, Liverpool had won the away leg of a European tie before a rematch at Anfield. On all 39 they had gone through. Not at the 40th time of asking, however. PSG won at Anfield; over 90 and then 120 minutes, over seven penalties.
Without the superstars, Luis Enrique has achieved the impossible at PSG
Liverpool are out of the Champions League but the worst could be yet to come
A treble evaporates for Liverpool, and a double may yet go with it. This penalty shoot-out defeat to Paris Saint-Germain after a 1-0 loss didn’t just cost them a place in the Champions League quarter-final, but also a series of defenders for Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Newcastle. Ibrahima Konate and Trent Alexander-Arnold are now in doubt, in developments that may end up the most significant of the night.
Liverpool have to quickly pick themselves up, after a deflating elimination that currently feels like the first time they are faltering under Arne Slot.
READ THE FULL REPORT HERE.
Andy Robertson cracks a smile post match
It was with a typically pragmatic eye that Andy Robertson addressed tonight’s action.
On the night’s performance: “That’s the competition. We got the win last week without playing our best but that’s football. You can’t question the effort, the endeavour, penalties are a lottery and unfortunately we were on the wrong side of it. It is just a shame the efforts weren’t rewarded.”
On the loss: “We didn’t take our chances. We kept pushing and pushing but could not quite get level on the night. We have a lot to look at on and a lot of positives but its a massive disappointment.”
On the League Cup final: “For finishing top of the group we got the toughest tie of the knockout. We believed we could get through if luck was on our side, but it wasn’t meant to be and we need to dust ourselves down ahead of a cup final on Sunday and a Premier League title push.”
Enrique: Both teams deserve to go to the next phase
Enrique was humble in victory. Here is his assessment of the match:
On the result: “That is not important. Both of the teams deserve to go to the next phase. In Paris they play better than us, I think my team show in a special stadium great personality, great character. We try to play our best but it was very difficult because they are so intense and the atmosphere was great. both teams deserve to go through.”
Best European match you have seen? “There are some special matches. When the draw told about the match against Liverpool and PSG both managers told the same. One of the best matches that you can watch in Europe and I think both teams were great.”
On why PSG won: “That is nothing to do with consistency. In two matches if you do a bad match you can be eliminated. It is not about consistency, you have to be great in specific moments. We suffer a lot in the first match, but football is that way. Today we were lucky in some moments because they hit the post a few times. In the end football is going to take something but give you something. We are happy and confident to go to the next phase. It is a good moment for us and our fans.”
Slot: "The greatest game I have ever seen."
Arne Slot was clearly disappointed to have gone out, but admitted his team were well beaten. Here’s his reaction:
Best game I have seen: “I think it was the best game of football I was ever involved in. Incredible performance especially if you compare with last week. The first 25 minutes we were just all over them, created chance after chance and then all of a sudden we were 1-0 down. We ran out of luck after last week because the margins were so short tonight.”
On the reaction: “Now everybody should be disappointed. I know these players, the resilience they showed, last week was so difficult and to go out here today with the fans who were incredible, it had everything you want to see from a football game. From our perspective we would have hoped to have a draw after 90.”
Are PSG favourites going forward? “I wouldn’t say [PSG] are favourites. you know how much I like this team. It is not easy to play over here and in these circumstances but they were able to get the win over the line. It is a very good team but the#re are very good teams everywhere in this tournament. Normally you face these teams in the final but we had to face PSG, one of the richest clubs in the world at this early round.”
Van Dijk reacts: We are out on penalties and that is the reality
The disappointment was unsurprisingly palpable as Liverpool captain Van Dijk spoke post-match. Here is his assessment of the match.
On today’s performance: “I think we were pretty good today. Obviously you want to go as far as possible and when the draw came and we saw PSG we knew it would be very difficult. We saw that in Paris when we struggled but won. Today we saw a much better Liverpool side but lost and that is the reality.”
On playing next year’s Champions League: “The Champions League is a great competition, we always look forward to it.”
Looking ahead to the League Cup final: “We would play with the same intensity and quality on Sunday as we did in regular time [today]. It will be a beautiful game. The focus now is on recovery because we have to be at our best against a very good Newcastle side.”
FT: Liverpool 0-1 PSG (1-1 Agg) (1-4 pens)
Désiré Doué finishes it for PSG, and the Parisans go through!
They have won it in front of the away end, and there are euphoric scenes in the stands as pyros are lit and supporters celebrate.
There is, though, despondence among those in red. Nunez looks mournful in the background as Luis Enrique blows a kiss to the camera and hugs his goalkeeper.
A European classic, to be sure. This one will live long in the memory.
CURTIS JONES MISSES: Liverpool 1-3 PSG
It is homegrown talent Curtis Jones next. He will have grown up dreaming of taking a Champions League penalty for Liverpool.
But this one is a nightmare. Donnarumma saves again.
Liverpool are down and out. Score to win for PSG.
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