ALISSON delivered a goalkeeping MASTERCLASS – but Harvey Elliott stole the headlines with a dramatic late winner in Paris!
Paris Saint-Germain dominated the game – with 71% possession and 27 shots – but couldn’t find a way past Liverpool stopper Alisson, who was in inspired form with 10 saves.
Earlier, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia had a beautiful curling strike ruled out by the semi-automated offside system, before PSG had a strong penalty claim denied by the VAR.
Arne Slot’s Reds were hanging on in the Champions League first leg against the French giants before Elliott scored with his first touch – less than a minute after coming on – and Liverpool’s ONLY shot on target.
- TV Channel: TNT Sports 1
- Kick-off: 8pm GMT
- PSG XI: Donnarumma, Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes, Neves, Vitinha, Ruiz, Kvaratskhelia, Dembele, Barcola.
- Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Salah, Diaz, Jota.
Follow the blog below for live updates…
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Match report
In a remarkable season for Arne Slot’s Liverpool, this was perhaps the most incredible result of the lot.
It is a miracle that the runaway Premier League leaders are still standing in this Champions League tie and an absolute wonder that they kept a clean sheet.
But that sub Harvey Elliott should have sealed the ultimate smash-and-grab victory with an 87th-minute winner was beyond miraculous, it was simply ridiculous.
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Slot reacts
Arne Slot said had Liverpool drawn tonight, they’d have still counted themselves as fortunate.
He told Uefa: “Had we got a draw, we would still have been the lucky ones.
“They were much the better team today. In the first half, they had many chances. In the second half, they were still the better team.
“I saw again today how much quality they have.
“Despite that, I felt we were in the game and could hurt them in the transitions. We had three or four chances to do so, but we waited until the last moment.
“It’s a good result for us, but we felt the quality of Paris.
“Every underlying stat shows you they were the best side in the Champions League. I wasn’t surprised at how good they were.
“We were not under-par, it was just down to the quality of the opposition. They showed it today. Luis Enrique has created an incredible team here.”
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Tight
Oh how different it could’ve been!
This was how close Kvaratskhelia was to being onside when he finished so superbly in the first half.
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More from Harvey
On Alisson’s display, he added: “I’ve got no words. He’s unbelievable, the best in the world.
“He shows it in every game and keeps us in so many games. It was my opportunity to repay this man. It’s down to me to put the opportunity away and, thankfully, it went in.
“Without him, I don’t know where we’d be. But it was a great team performance.”
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‘I have no words’
Tonight’s matchwinner Harvey Elliott told TNT Sports: “Full credit to the team. Paris became a little bit tired towards the end due to our workrate.
“They were creating chances but [we kept a clean sheet] thanks to [Alisson] and the defence. It was a very solid game defensively.”
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Celebrations in the dressing room?
A late, great winner from Harvey Elliott means he’ll be celebrating with his teammates in the changing room, right?
Well, no.
The BBC say he is instead now back out on the pitch doing a warm down alongside the other Liverpool substitutes.
Poor guy!
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More Alisson stats
A third successive clean sheet. The opponents being Man City, Newcastle and PSG.
Squawka also tweeted: “The Brazilian made 9 saves against PSG, his joint-most in a Champions League game.
“He stopped a PSG side who had scored 40 goals in their previous 10 matches before tonight, from finding the back of the net.
“That shutout also means he has now kept more Champions League clean sheets for Liverpool than any other GK in the UCL era (22), breaking Pepe Reina’s record.”
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‘Performance of my life’
On his performance, the team’s victory and man of the match award, Alisson told TNT Sports: “It was probably the performance of my life.
“The manager was telling us how hard it would be to play against PSG, how good they are with the ball and that we would have to be ready to suffer. We knew what was coming.
“We worked hard. We gave away so many chances, sometimes one v one but the biggest part of the chase is having someone make the player with the chance think a bit more.
“All the efforts the team put in makes my job easier. Then at the end Harvey [Elliott] coming in and scoring the goal, it is a great story for us. A great night.”
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Man of the match
No surprises to see this man hold the award….
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One word – Smash-and-grab
Two shots at goal, only one on target. Which happened to be the only goal.
Have you ever seen anything quite as ludicrous as this.
TWENTY-SEVEN shots at goal for the home side without scoring. 10 on target too that Alisson matched.
Very nearly three times as many completed passes as Liverpool managed and 14 corners.
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Tonight’s Champions League results
- Feyenoord 0-2 Inter
- Bayern 3-0 Leverkusen
- Benfica 0-1 Barcelona
- PSG 0-1 Liverpool
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Tonight’s hero
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FT: PSG 0-1 Liverpool
Remarkable.
Had Liverpool faced a deficit of a couple of goals going into next week’s second leg, they’d have had no complaints.
PSG had an offside goal, missed the target with two glorious chances and when they did manage to hit the target, they were met with a brick wall.
Alisson has had some outstanding nights in goal for Liverpool but this must be right up there.
He kept them in it and when Mo Salah was eventually hooked after a rare, very poor night, substitute Harvey Elliott popped up with the winner with a few minutes to go with his first touch.
Genuinely, remarkable.
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FULL TIME
Don’t ask me how but Liverpool take a lead to Anfield next week!
Harvey Elliott with the winner with his first touch – Alisson with a sensational performance between the sticks.
PSG 0-1 Liverpool
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90+5 – PSG 0-1 Liverpool
Liverpool defend it and Alisson collects.
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90+5 – PSG 0-1 Liverpool
Doue showing outstanding footwork down the left to create an angle for a cross.
Endo matches him though and a well-timed block sees him stop the cross.
But it is a corner!
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90+3 – PSG 0-1 Liverpool
Nuno Mendes with a terrific run into the box on the left and smashes a cross towards goal.
It’s read by Alisson who is equal to it again and catches it.
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90+2 – PSG 0-1 Liverpool
Marquinhos puts his foot through it on halfway to launch it into the Liverpool box.
Endo is on the end of it and nods it back to Alisson, who controls with his knee before picking it up, just wasting a few more seconds.
Great composure from both.
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90 – PSG 0-1 Liverpool
Five minutes added on at the end of this first leg.
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GOAL DETAIL: PSG 0-1 Liverpool
Extraordinary. Slot should’ve made the change sooner!
No, all credit to him for taking Salah off and bring Elliott on.
It’s superb from Nunez, putting his weight about and be a physical presence to ruffle some feathers.
He brings the ball down and plays in Elliott who arrives late into the box off the right and coolly with a first time finish passes it into the far corner with his left foot.
Donnarumma has had nothing to do all night and got a touch but couldn’t keep it out – Alisson likely would’ve!
A priceless goal!
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86 – PSG 0-0 Liverpool
Oops, Slot obviously agrees….
Liverpool change:
- OFF: Salah
- ON: Elliott
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87 – GOAL!! PSG 0-1 LIVERPOOL
WOULD YOU BLINKIN’ BELIEVE IT!!
HARVEY ELLIOTT scores for Liverpool seconds after replacing Mo Salah!
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84 – PSG 0-0 Liverpool
Oh Mo, what a waste!!!
Dembele curls a great ball towards the back post and Alisson dives off his line to push it away with one hand superbly.
Liverpool are then on the break and Salah races onto a pass on halfway and tries to play in Nunez with a right-footed pass with only one defender to beat but passes it to that one defender.
He could’ve gone alone or made better use of the pass. That was a huge chance wasted by Salah again. He’s irreplaceable of course but he’s lucky to still be on!
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82 – PSG 0-0 Liverpool
Hakimi gets space down the right as PSG continue to push.
His cross is met by Alisson who comes off his line to gather.
