Liverpool had never lost a penalty shootout in the Champions League (or European Cup) until last night — but, then again, they had also never faced the brute force of Gianluigi Donnarumma, the spot-kick hero once again on English soil.
So many great nights at Anfield end in a Liverpool victory but this was PSG’s moment to saviour as they emerged triumphant from a penalty shootout they dominated.
Yet it wasn’t just about their brilliant Italian goalkeeper. So how did they do it?
An all-important coin toss
In a game now packed with the latest modern technology and VAR, it’s curious that an old-fashioned coin toss can still have such an impact on the outcome of such an important encounter.
Yet there the two captains of these brilliant teams stood over referee Istvan Kovacs, waiting nervously to see the outcome of the first coin toss that determined the location of the penalty shootout.
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Kovacs made it clear to Achraf Hakimi and Virgil van Dijk what was happening as he pointed to either end of the stadium before the big reveal. The two captains discussed something in the seconds before the toss and Van Dijk initially looked confused.
UK readers watch here:
PSG win the coin toss and will take the first penalty… 😱#UCLonPrime pic.twitter.com/rzJ4ccNqx5
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) March 11, 2025
When it was made clear that the result of the toss meant penalties would be taken at the Anfield Road end — where the PSG fans were housed in one half of the stand with Liverpool supporters either side and above them — and not in front of the Kop, where Liverpool’s most passionate fans congregate, Hakimi pointed in celebration.
The PSG captain was then instructed to pick a side of the coin to determined who would take the first kick. When he won that toss, he pushed forward his PSG side, which immediately gave them a chance to gain an advantage.
A fan with a megaphone
After confident opening penalties from PSG’s Vitinha and Goncalo Ramos and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, it was Darwin Nunez’s turn to step up.
And the Uruguayan had more than just nerves to deal with. In the PSG section, a supporter with a megaphone clearly thought he could gain an advantage by berating Nunez as he prepared to take his kick.
As Nunez stood centrally over the ball, hands on his hips in the same way as Salah, the fan could clearly be heard shouting into the megaphone, complete with a strange siren-like effect.
UK readers watch here:
Donnarumma makes the first save of the shootout! 🤯
He denies Darwin Nunez and gives PSG the advantage at Anfield.#UCLonPrime pic.twitter.com/pcUX5colHP
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) March 11, 2025
U.S. readers watch here:
DARWIN MISSES FOR LIVERPOOL 😳 pic.twitter.com/cYsXESldJs
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 11, 2025
Whether that played a part in the miss, only Nunez knows. He put on a brave face in the immediate aftermath but soon slumped to the floor when he realised the consequences of his aberration.
The same noise from the megaphone sounded again when Jones walked up to take what would be Liverpool’s final penalty. He, too, was berated during the walk-up and in the seconds before his attempt was saved.
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Donnarumma’s aura
Liverpool’s record in shootouts in this competition spoke for itself. They beat Roma in the 1983-84 final, AC Milan in the 2004-05 final and Chelsea in the 2006-07 semi-final, so history was on their side.
But coming up against Donnarumma, a penalty-saving expert who seems to thrive in shootouts in England, is a test of its own. In the Euro 2020 final at Wembley, Donnarumma broke England’s hearts with a masterclass in Italy’s goal by keeping out penalties from Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka. Neither of those penalties was particularly poor but both could have been hit with more pace and better placement.
Donnarumma’s behaviour during the shootout said it all: he missed Luis Enrique’s pre-shootout talk and was absent from the huddle as he briefly disappeared down the tunnel on his own. When he re-emerged he hugged his opposite number, Alisson, and duly got down to business by saving from Nunez…
(Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images)
and then Jones.
(Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Each time, his celebration was reasonably restrained, as he simply pointed to his teammates. It was as if he expected nothing less than to be the hero.
PSG’s brilliant placement
For all of Liverpool’s woes, PSG were ruthless. Yes, Vitinha’s opening strike might not have been the most convincing, and Alisson will be frustrated for not keeping it out, but talk about composure under pressure. Not for one second did it look like the midfielder was going to miss.
That quickly became a theme throughout the shootout. Goncalo Ramos, a 119th-minute substitute who hadn’t kicked the ball before his penalty and was introduced specifically to score, put his effort away with pace and purpose.
Ousmane Dembele, the goalscorer in normal time, then smashed in the best of the lot with a penalty that former England striker Wayne Rooney said “no goalkeeper in the world could stop” as he analysed the outcome on Amazon Prime.
Perhaps it was fitting for this youthful PSG side that Desire Doue became the youngest penalty-taker to ever win a Champions League match, as he mirrored his more senior team-mates with an equally as convincing last kick.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot said it was the “best game I’ve ever been involved in,” but that will be no consolation in defeat. “We just ran out of luck,” he added.
PSG, however, made their own fortune and ran out deserved winners.
(Top photos: Getty Images)
