Perhaps the penalty shoot-out miss from Darwin Nunez is a summation of his Liverpool career, but he’s certainly not to blame for a Champions League last 16 exit. Ultimately, Liverpool went out to an excellent PSG side who, over the course of this two-legged tie, may well have just deserved passage to the quarter-finals.
Arne Slot’s team started this game with an intensity that looked likely to reap rewards in the opening minutes. Mo Salah had an early effort that looked goal bound, deflected by a defender’s knee in front of an expectant Kop. PSG however, looked threatening on the break and, with Liverpool continuing to press forward, a clearly rejuvenated Dembele put the visitors ahead. A breakdown in communication between Ibou Konate and Alisson gave the winger a tap in after 12 minutes to dampen down the atmosphere at Anfield.
Last week in Paris it was Alisson who was the hero for his team. This time Donnarumma, at the opposite end of the pitch, looked likely to be key to his team’s success. Though not as busy as Alisson in the French capital last Wednesday, he certainly saw plenty of the ball. Parrying, catching and punching at regular intervals, whilst the ball, when loose in the penalty box, just wouldn’t fall to a red short. Maybe Liverpool used up all their luck last week across the channel.
The second half was largely one-way traffic, Liverpool once more dominating possession. Yet for all of Robertson’s crosses into the box, and Trent Alexander-Arnold seeing more and more of the ball, the final flurry was missing. Luis Diaz in particular wasting a glorious chance to score, by instead chose to look for a team mate, whilst Jarell Quansah struck the woodwork and Liverpool were rightly denied a goal for off-side by VAR.
Three hours of football failed to seperate the teams and extra-time beckoned. Liverpool though, perhaps beginning to fatigue, dropped their energy levels. Nunez never really got into the game and was as ineffectual as diogo Jota had been, who he’d replaced. Curtis Jones, twice admonished by team mates for getting caught in possession, also struggled, and chances for either team were in short supply. Penalties looked inevitable.
PSG won the toss, and chose to have the penalty shoot-out at the Anfield Road end, in front of their fans. They also got to take the first penalty. Salah scored to level the first spot-kick, but then came Nunez and Jones; both missed, Donnarumma’s imposing frame easily able to claw away penalty kicks that lacked both conviction and pace. The French champions were through, and on the evidence of this heavy weight tie, could easily go on to win it.
With a cup final up next for Liverpool, lifting silverwear at Wembley would be the perfect antedote for the obvious disappointment of European elimination. Yet, they’ll probably have to do so without Alexander-Arnold, who hobbled off the Anfield turf in the final minutes of normal time. Konate also departed injured, whilst the struggles that both Jota and Nunez are having in front of goal may well mean that Salah, once again, will be expected to deliver the goals that alluded him against PSG.
