Liverpool’s journey in the UEFA Champions League came to a heart-wrenching end at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain in a dramatic round-of-16 clash at Anfield.
Leading 1-0 from the first leg despite being outplayed, Liverpool’s advantage was quickly erased by Ousmane Dembele’s 12th-minute equalizer.
After a fiercely contested 90 minutes, head coach Arne Slot acknowledged the fine margins that defined the match.
“Over 90 minutes, I don’t think we deserved to lose,” he said. “In extra time, PSG was perhaps slightly better. Then it comes down to penalties.”
The shootout saw Gianluigi Donnarumma emerge as PSG’s hero, saving efforts from Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones to secure a 4-1 victory for the French champions.
Slot expressed pride in his team’s effort despite the disappointment.
“If you have to go out, go out the way we did—fighting against one of the best teams in Europe.”
He praised the high level of intensity, especially in the opening exchanges, likening it to Liverpool’s memorable performances against Manchester City and Real Madrid in years past.
Adding to Liverpool’s woes, star right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold suffered an ankle injury that will likely rule him out of Sunday’s Carabao Cup final. Slot described the injury as “not a good sign” and expressed less concern about Ibrahima Konate, who was substituted due to fatigue rather than injury.
Meanwhile, PSG head coach Luis Enrique hailed the victory as a defining moment for his side.
“I’m really pleased with our performance,” he said. “We showed our character and played our football. The first game belonged to Alisson Becker, but the second game belonged to Donnarumma.”
