Arne Slot knows the tie is far from over despite his Liverpool side winning their Champions League last-16 first leg at Paris Saint-Germain
Liverpool's English forward #19 Harvey Elliott (CL) and Liverpool's Dutch coach Arne Slot (CR) embrace as they celebrate their team's victory at the end of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg football match between Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) and Liverpool (ENG) at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on March 5, 2025. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
Harvey Elliott and Arne Slot embrace after Liverpool's dramatic win at PSG(Image: FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
Arne Slot admits Liverpool “got away” with an unlikely Champions League victory at Paris Saint-Germain. And the Reds boss has called on the Anfield crowd to play their part in helping his team progress next week.
Substitute Harvey Elliotts strike three minutes from time earned the Reds a 1-0 win in their round of 16 first leg at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday evening.
Liverpool had to withstand a battering from the French champions and were indebted to a string of saves from man-of-the-match Alisson Becker, particularly during the first half.
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And looking to the return game at home next Tuesday, Slot said: “If you look at result we come away really positive, but if you look at the performance then PSG can take a lot of positives towards the game we are going to play in a week.
“But I can tell you they are not only playing against us, they are also playing against our fans. We need them not only next Tuesday but on Saturday against Southampton as well.
“Like you might know, we don’t have a winter break and we keep on playing for months already and these players will need the help of fans if they are going to turn up.
“We were not under par. It’s purely the quality and the way they have played this whole season. Luis Enrique has made an incredible team here after three windows. It was an unbelievable challenge for us to get away with a result and we know it’s going to be a hard one in a week.”
Elliott’s winner came from his first touch having been introduced for Mohamed Salah less than a minute earlier.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia had a goal disallowed for offside during a first half in which the visitors were comprehensively outplayed.
And of the game, Slot added: “If we had a draw we’d already have been the lucky one. That is clear for everyone – they were the much better team today, especially in the first half when they had three or four big, big, big open chances.
“In the second half they were still the better team and shots on target but they were mainly from outside the box.
“I knew before the game and I saw today how much quality this team and individual players here. These shots from outside the box are at a certain speed that you only see with top players. That’s why Alisson still had to make a lot of big saves.
“We were lucky in the first half that the goal was fractionally offside.
“We were already in the game three, four or five times where I thought we could hurt them in the transition and we didn’t. We waited until the last minute and then we hurt them.”