Liverpool delivered a shock to Paris Saint-Germain with a 1-0 win at the Parc des Princes, despite the host’s dominance for most of the match. Harvey Elliott, coming on as a substitute, made an immediate impact by scoring the decisive goal with his first touch.
However, it was Alisson Becker’s heroics in goal, making a record nine saves, that truly secured the Reds’ victory. Looking ahead, Liverpool will welcome PSG to Anfield for the second leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie on Tuesday night. If they advance, a quarter-final clash against Aston Villa seems likely following Unai Emery’s team’s 3-1 triumph over Club Brugge.
Yet, the PSG squad is far from defeated. Convinced they should have emerged victorious in the first leg, several of Luis Enrique’s players are determined to overturn the deficit at Anfield, doubting Liverpool’s ability to best them once more.
After the match, Vitinha expressed to Canal+ his frustration but also determination. “Tough, everyone saw it,” he said. “It’s tough to play a game like that, against this team. They scored on their only chance. It’s tough but now we’re going to show the team we are.”
He further emphasized the team’s resolve: “It’s been a long time since we lost. Now it’s up to us to show our personality, our strength. That’s what a real team is. We’re going to go there, we’re going to play a great game and this time, we’re going to score. And we’re going to go through, I’m sure of it.
“We’re not going to hide behind that (Konate not being sent off for a challenge on Bradley Barcola). I remain optimistic because with the game we played, the victory would have been more than deserved. I know that the only thing that matters in football is that the ball goes into the goal.
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“But the truth is that we are closer (to winning) by playing like this. We had plenty of chances, like at the start of the season, but we didn’t manage to score. But I’m sure that will happen in Liverpool, we will play a great match, we will show personality once again and we will win.”
“It’s very difficult this evening,” Willian Pacho admitted. “The team did a good job, we played a good game. We had a lot of chances, a lot of opportunities.
“The truth is that we did a lot to deserve the win, but that’s football. Things don’t always go your way. But now we have to pick ourselves up, now we have to improve and move forward to win the return match.
“We played a great game, we know what we’re capable of. We have to be positive to get the best out of the best version of ourselves. We have a great team and a great opportunity. We have to play to fight until the end anyway.
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“I know we’re going to score. We have to keep our heads up. I have confidence in my team. What we did today was incredible. It (the goal) was bad luck, we made a mistake but these things happen in football. As I said, we have to keep our heads up, be positive and move forward. I think that if we do things well, we’ll get a good result there.
“When you see the desire of the team to go forward, to not take a step back, to always want more. That’s what helps us and inspires us to keep growing as a team, as players. I’m convinced we’re going to win the game there.”
Meanwhile, Achraf Hakimi shared: “We are frustrated to lose the match like that. We have already seen that against Atletico Madrid. There are many matches in which we have had many chances, dominated the entire match, and the opposing team creates an opportunity. It hurts to end the match like that.
“We are happy with the work done, the effort, the desire of the whole team. We are ready to go to Liverpool to get a victory that we deserved today. Today, we saw the desire and the personality of the whole team. We dominated, we created chances, we had the ball, we attacked… I don’t think the match will end the same way twice.
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“If we have the same personality, the same dynamic, the same determination as today, it’s certain that we will manage to qualify. If we create as many chances, it’s certain that we will score at least one goal.
“Alisson Becker was the man of the match, he had a very good game. He deserves this trophy. They knew our qualities, our team, they respected us a lot and they expected a great atmosphere at the Parc des Princes.
“They tried to keep the result to make the difference at Anfield. They didn’t want to attack like they usually do. They scored on their only chance.
“We’re not happy but we’ll go there, we’ll try to win. We’re happy. There’s a second game left, a week to prepare. We have the capacity to get through this round, we’re ready for it, we’ll continue to work, with the same dynamic as since the start of the season. We’ll go there to win.”
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Khvicha Kvaratskhelia also weighed in, speaking to Canal+. “We had many chances to score and we deserved much more,” he said, pointing out that his side showed their superiority over Liverpool. “We showed them that we are a better team. This is football, we have to prepare for the return leg and give our best.”
“It will not be easy against Liverpool, at Anfield,” Kvaratskhelia continued. “Liverpool, at Anfield, it will not be easy. We have to play the same game and score. I was sad that my goal was disallowed and I have to continue to work very hard.”
Prior to the match, PSG players and manager Enrique hadn’t been shy about their expectations, openly discussing their strategies to overcome Arne Slot’s men.
Despite their recent defeat, PSG are heading to Merseyside with renewed confidence. It remains to be seen whether their bold declarations will backfire and if Liverpool can once again leave them red-faced in what promises to be another memorable European night at Anfield.
