Liverpool pair Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones have responded to their penalty disappointment against Paris Saint-Germain on social media.
The Reds were sent packing from the Champions League on Tuesday night, losing 4-1 on penalties at Anfield after a 1-1 draw on aggregate.
It was a tough evening for Nunez and Jones, both of whom were introduced off the substitutes’ bench in the second half.
Neither managed to make a positive impact, and when it came to the shootout, both saw their tame spot-kicks saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Nunez has already taken plenty of flak this season, posting bullish responses on social media, and he did exactly that on X on Wednesday.
“Get up and carry on, as always,” Nunez wrote.
Jones was also bitterly disappointed about the role he played in his boyhood club being knocked out of Europe, but took to Instagram to say that he will always step up instead of shy away.
“Stepping up and trying to help the team in every moment I can is the type of person that I am,” Jones said.
“This comes with risk and failing, last night I got a taste of that!
“I can live with missing but I can’t live without taking the responsibility. 10 to go. Starting with a cup final Sunday!”
Penalty misses can happen to any player, so Nunez and Jones should be excused for playing that part in Liverpool’s loss.
But what was more disappointing was their lack of influence during the game, with neither stamping their authority on proceedings.
Nunez managed just one touch inside PSG’s penalty area, per FotMob, with Liverpool’s No. 9 also failing to have a single shot.
Meanwhile, Jones really struggled to hold his own against a superb PSG midfield of Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves, not winning a single one of his five ground duels.
No player on the pitch fared worse in that area, apart from Cody Gakpo (0/1), who was only introduced in extra-time.
For Nunez, it was another night that suggested this could be his final season at Liverpool – for all his popularity, he hasn’t developed enough as a player in his three years at Anfield.
Meanwhile, Jones is a good squad option and can continue to be, but his performance showed why Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai are often preferred to him.
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