Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain needed a penalty shootout to separate them in the last 16 of the Champions League, with PSG eventually emerging victors.
Liverpool 0-1 PSG (1-4 on pens)
Champions League Last 16, 2nd Leg | Anfield
March 11, 2025
Goal: Dembele 12′
Team news
Both Arne Slot and Luis Enrique opted to name the same starting lineup from the first leg, and for Liverpool that meant three changes from the weekend’s win over Southampton.
Most notably that saw Darwin Nunez drop back out for Diogo Jota, while Andy Robertson and Alexis Mac Allister took over from Kostas Tsimikas and Curtis Jones.
Enrique rested eight players for PSG’s 4-1 win at Rennes on Saturday, with only centre-back Willian Pacho, midfielder Joao Neves and forward Bradley Barcola starting both.
First half
Anfield was raucous long before kickoff and it bled through into a frenetic start, Liverpool showing far more confidence and intensity than in the opening leg.
Mohamed Salah was one of those much improved from that 1-0 win and the Egyptian almost doubled the aggregate lead in the fifth minute after Mac Allister’s cutback – though the midfielder should really have shot.
But despite their early dominance and the mood around the stadium it was PSG who struck first, with Ousmane Dembele delivering a sucker punch, pouncing after Ibrahima Konate‘s block could only slow the inevitable.
Game on, Liverpool needed to step up to the challenge again with the tie level at 1-1.
The stasis played into PSG’s hands, knowing they could begin to soak up pressure and strike on the counter, with Jota’s lack of presence a concern for Slot.
Half time: Liverpool 0-1 PSG
Second half
It wasn’t long into the second half that Liverpool had the ball in the back of the net, Dominik Szoboszlai tapping in after relentless work from Trent Alexander-Arnold, but the goal was ruled out for an offside much earlier in the phase.
On the touchline, coaches Sipke Hulshoff and John Heitinga held lengthy conversations with Nunez as the Uruguayan prepared to come on; the first sign of Slot addressing the need for more energy in the No. 9.
Nunez’s introduction came with 17 minutes of normal time left to play, but it came along with the departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who picked up an ankle injury and was replaced by Jarell Quansah.
Quansah almost made it 1-1 on the night when he connected with Andy Robertson‘s perfect cross, but unfortunately the ball then connected with the post and, despite coming back across the face of goal, no Liverpool player was able to follow up.
No breakthrough came for either side in a particularly tense second half – Liverpool lacking the quality they showed in those early stages – and that set the tie up for 30 minutes of extra time.
Extra time
On came Jones for the already-booked Mac Allister, with the Englishman looking to add calm to a game only made more fraught as PSG twice close to taking the lead shortly after the restart.
Attacking the Kop for the final 15 minutes, Liverpool were added to by the returning Cody Gakpo and first-leg hero Harvey Elliott, but there would be no winner this time with a shootout required.
Gianluigi Donnarumma was the saviour for PSG, denying Nunez and Jones from the spot as Liverpool bowed out of the Champions League.
The game in stats
* Stats via FotMob
TIA Man of the Match: Alisson
Referee: Istvan Kovacs (ROU)
Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold (Quansah 73′), Konate (Endo 111′), Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai (Elliott 106′), Mac Allister (Jones 91′); Salah, Diaz (Gakpo 102′), Jota (Nunez 73′)
Subs not used: Kelleher, Jaros, Tsimikas, McConnell, Chiesa
PSG: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos (Beraldo 90+2′), Pacho, Mendes; Vitinha, Neves (Ramos 120+1′), Ruiz (Zaire-Emery 91′); Kvaratskhelia (Lee 101′), Barcola (Doue 67′), Dembele
Subs not used: Safonov, Tenas, Kimpembe, Hernandez, Mayulu, Mbaya
Next match: Newcastle (N) – Carabao Cup Final – Sunday, March 16, 4.30pm (GMT)
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