Liverpool secured an extraordinary 1-0 victory over PSG in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night in what will surely go down as one of the most remarkable smash-and-grab performances in recent European competition history.
Despite being comprehensively outplayed for virtually the entire match, Arne Slot’s men left Paris with a precious advantage thanks to substitute Harvey Elliott’s 87th-minute winner and an inspired performance from goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who produced what he later described as “the performance of my life.”
The raw statistics from this match tell a story so implausible that future generations might struggle to believe it wasn’t fabricated.
Paris Saint-Germain registered an overwhelming 27 shots to Liverpool’s measly two, while dominating possession with a staggering 70% of the ball.
The hosts created chance after chance, with their attacking trio of Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Bradley Barcola tormenting Liverpool’s defense repeatedly throughout the evening.
Alisson Becker vs PSG Value
Saves 9
Goals Prevented (xGOT faced) 2.26
Accurate Passes 10/28 (37%)
Accurate Long Balls 10/22 (45%)
Recoveries 11
The match was not without its contentious incidents. PSG’s sense of injustice was compounded by Kvaratskhelia’s disallowed goal in the first half, which came after “a beautifully disguised pass from Vitinha” only to be ruled out for a marginal offside following VAR intervention1.
Perhaps the most significant controversy centered around Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate, who many felt should have received a red card for pushing Bradley Barcola when the forward was bearing down on goal.
Nevertheless, it’s fair to say that plenty of the French media outlets were not happy with Liverpool’s heist.
L’Equipe’s front page on Thursday.
“English Robbery” pic.twitter.com/NlYFwtUlt4
— DaveOCKOP (@DaveOCKOP) March 6, 2025
National newspaper L’Equipe refer to Liverpool’s result as a ‘robbery’, and have hailed Alisson:
“PSG had also not yet come up against a goalkeeper as exceptional as Alisson in 2025. Ten saves in all, that’s colossal statistically speaking.”
“What is even more surprising is the reality of these judgments: for a good half of them, they were exceptional. With a normal goalkeeper, Luis Enrique’s team would certainly have won by several goals.”
Meanwhile, RMC Sport take a dramatic angle on Harvey Elliott’s goal:
“Dominating throughout the match without being able to find the breakthrough, Paris Saint-Germain were crucified in the last minutes. On his first ball, Harvey Elliott scored with a left-footed shot.”
“It remains to be seen if the Brazilian goalkeeper will have left his superhero costume in Paris,” they add on return leg at Anfield next week.
Finally, Le Parisian make no secret of the dominance PSG had on the night – going as far as to say they gave Liverpool a ‘lesson’:
“Paris more than looked Liverpool straight in the eye, it gave them a football lesson, asserting themselves as a great of Europe, only brought back to reason and frustration by their lack of realism.”
“No opponent has tormented Arne Slot’s men to this extent in Europe or recently in England.”
“Paris delivered a first half of a candidate for the last four [semi-finals].”
Despite Liverpool taking a one-goal advantage back to Anfield for the second leg, scheduled for March 11, 2025, this tie remains very much in the balance.
PSG coach Luis Enrique adopted a defiant tone post-match, suggesting his team would have “nothing to lose” in the return fixture.
The psychological dimension of the second leg will be fascinating. PSG must now score at least once to have any chance of progression, forcing them to be more aggressive at Anfield.
This could potentially play into Liverpool’s hands, creating more space for their attackers to exploit than was available in Paris.
Conversely, if PSG can maintain the same level of performance while improving their efficiency in front of goal, they certainly have the firepower to overturn the deficit.
Read More: Five things learnt from PSG 0-1 Liverpool
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