Liverpool crash out of Champions League after losing penalty shoot-out to PSG

Photo: Stephen Gormley (Red Eye Photo Agency)

PSG win 1-0 at Anfield to take Round of 16 Champions League tie to extra time before winning 4-1 on penalties

Liverpool came flying out the blocks in the first 10 minutes, coming forward like red arrows with speed and precision in their organised attacks as they tried to build on their shock 1-0 away win in Paris the previous week.

Diaz got the ball on the left hand side, beat a few players and pulled the ball back to Salah. His left foot shot looked goal bound but somehow it came off the PSG defender’s knee cap and flew over the bar. Salah had another chance when he beat two PSG players like they were not there and wrapped his left foot around the ball which just wide of the post. It was relentless pace and you could see PSG were shocked by the Liverpool start to the game. Their players were sometimes panicking at the back and just clearing the ball out of play.

But PSG showed how dangerous they are and totally against the run of play they levelled the tie after 12 minutes. The ball was hit into the Liverpool box low and hard. Ibrahima Konate made a mistake in his clearance and knocked it away from Alisson. Dembele jumped over the keeper and lashed it into the net. The 4,000 traveling PSG fans went wild in celebration in the away end.

At the start of the second half Trent Alexander unleashed a right foot shot that got blocked. It came back out to him and he hit it with his left this time which came off the inside of the post and back out. Szoboszlai eventually side-footed the ball into the PSG net but the goal was chopped off as the move was brought back for an earlier off-side.

The French Champions were always dangerous on the break with Dembele a constant threat. But it was Liverpool who had the bulk of possession in the second half as they tried hard to get back ahead in the tie.

The clock hit 95 minutes and the referee signalled the match would go into 30-minutes of extra time. Nunez was put through but it was pulled back for offside. PSG also had a great shot put around the post by a sharp Allison. In the second period of extra time PSG had a bit more threat but no team could get the winner on the night.

It was destined for penalties. PSG won the toss and they were taken down to the Anfield road end. Nunez and Curtis Jones had their spot kicks saved and PSG advanced to the quarter finals after netting all four of their pens to win the shoot-out 4-1.

French fans, players and management went wild on the pitch as the best team over the two legs went through to face Aston Villa in the quarter finals. Liverpool’s focus now moves to Wembley on Sunday as they need to dust themselves down and go again, this time in the League Cup Final against Newcastle.