National media reaction following Liverpool's astonishing win against the odds away at Paris Saint-Germain
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Ibrahima Konate (L) Andy Robertson (C) and Goalkeeper Alisson Becker of Liverpool (R) celebrates with teammates after winning PSG during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Round of 16 first leg match between Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool FC at Parc des Princes
Ibrahima Konate (L) Andy Robertson (C) and Goalkeeper Alisson Becker of Liverpool (R) celebrates with teammates after winning PSG during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Round of 16 first leg match between Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool FC at Parc des Princes
(Image: 2025 Eurasia Sport Images)
Liverpool produced the ultimate smash and grab to beat Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night. The Reds had less than 30% possession and produced just one shot on target in the French capital as Luis Enrique’s side put in a dominant display.
But PSG were unable to find a way past Alisson Becker as he put in the performance of his career, with the Brazilian producing an incredible nine saves as the Ligue 1 outfit registered 27 shots on goal.
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Harvey Elliott emerged from the bench late on to score with his first touch after just 47 seconds, to stun PSG and ensure Liverpool have a 1-0 lead to protect back at Anfield next week.
READ MORE: PSG reaction to astonishing Liverpool win spoke volumes as Arne Slot right againREAD MORE: Harvey Elliott channels Liverpool frustrations perfectly as emotional Darwin Nunez post proves true
And the national media were all stunned by Alisson’s performance as the Reds claimed a famous victory in Paris against the odds…
Paul Joyce ofThe Times insisted ‘smash and grab’ did not do Liverpool justice as the Parisians were left stunned.
He wrote: “In a corner of Parc des Princes, the exultant Liverpool supporters broke into the local lingo to celebrate a victory they could scarcely believe. A chorus of “Allez, Allez, Allez” pursued Paris Saint-Germain out of this arena, and how it would have hurt them.
“For 86 minutes, the hosts had been both outstanding and utterly dominant, denied the breakthrough they yearned for — and deserved — only by a combination of their own wastefulness and the reflexes of Liverpool goalkeeper, Alisson.
“He made save after save after save, driving Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to distraction, in a virtuoso performance that kept his team-mates in an enthralling first leg of this Champions League round-of-16 tie which ordinarily might have been pushed out of their grasp — even allowing for the powers of recovery Anfield can so often inspire.
“Then, just when a goalless draw would have constituted quite an outcome, substitutes Darwin Núñez and Harvey Elliott conspired to conjure an even more remarkable ending… Amid the chaos, the sound of Parisian jaws dropping could be heard. Smash and grab did not do this justice.”
The Guardian’s Andy Hunter lauded a record-breaking night for Alisson in the French capital.
He wrote: “Alisson had rarely been mentioned in the story of Liverpool’s old guard rediscovering peak form and propelling Arne Slot’s team towards glory this season. One night in Paris changed that. The Liverpool goalkeeper gave the performance of a lifetime, by his own admission, to ensure Paris Saint-Germain’s dominance came to nothing. Harvey Elliott applied the écraser et attraper. That’s smash and grab, to you and me.
“Liverpool could have been buried in the first half of the first leg alone. Luis Enrique’s young, fast and vibrant team squandered several clear chances and bemoaned the decision not to dismiss Ibrahima Konaté for denying Bradley Barcola a clear goalscoring opportunity. Even Slot admitted that was a close call.
“But Alisson stood tall throughout. The 32-year-old has been well protected by his defence this season. Not here. How Liverpool needed their world-class keeper, the man whose late save against Napoli kept Jürgen Klopp’s team on course to become European champions in 2019.
“Alisson produced nine saves to drive PSG to despair, a record for a Liverpool goalkeeper in a Champions League fixture and the most the Brazil international has made in any game for the club. He was even involved in the grand larceny of Elliott’s late winner, struck 47 seconds after the substitute had entered the pitch.
“Alisson’s long ball was gathered well by another impressive substitute, Darwin Núñez, who laid the ball into the path of Elliott to strike a clinical finish past Gianluigi Donnarumma. It was the only time the PSG crowd fell silent all night. A goalless draw would have felt scant reward for their team’s efforts.”
Lewis Steele ofthe Daily Maildecreed Alisson’s performance as ‘the best individual performance of Liverpool’s season.’
He wrote: “With football royalty David Beckham watching on in the stands, Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson put on a show that was fit for a king. ‘I think that is the best performance of my life,’ said the Reds No 1. That is a bold call given some of the defiant displays he has put in over recent years to cement himself in the conversation for best keeper of the Premier League era.
“But this was definitely the sort of heroics that will go down in folklore if Liverpool go on to win their seventh European Cup in Munich this season. Without him, Arne Slot’s men would have been dead and buried by half-time.
“Beyond the statistics, Alisson took command of his penalty area like a drill sergeant and exuded an aura of calm in a backline that, despite all its defiance, looked shaky. The English champions-elect were strangled by Paris Saint-Germain and needed to ride their luck on occasion, notably the marginal offside decision that saw Kvicha Kvaratskhelia have an early goal chalked off and Ibrahima Konate getting a reprieve from the VAR.
“Paris-born Konate shoved Bradley Barcola when he was through on goal and would have had no complaints if the referee gave a foul and sent the Frenchman for an early bath. Instead, though, he stayed on and played a big role in Liverpool’s rearguard effort.
“Slot has been in the news recently for allegedly telling a referee he will ‘f***ing blame you’ if Liverpool don’t go on to win the Premier League. In the Champions League, however, the Reds boss may end up thanking the officials if they now win the competition.
“Tongue in cheek with that comment, of course, as a team of this standard does not need to rely on luck. But no joking when we make the statement that Alisson’s display was the best individual performance of Liverpool’s season.”
The Telegraph’s Jason Burt pointed out that ‘winners always find a way’ as Liverpool celebrated one of their ‘most special European nights.’
He wrote: “Winners find a way. Good managers make inspired substitutions. Champions hang on in there. After being completely dominated for 87 almost humiliating minutes by Paris St-Germain, after owing the goalless scoreline to a superhuman effort from their goalkeeper Alisson Becker, Liverpool somehow won…
“The Brazilian faced nine shots and saved them all, but that statistic does not remotely do justice to how dominant he was. He called it the best performance of the 32-year-old’s illustrious career and no one would argue with that as he produced one of the all-time classic goalkeeping displays. It was Alisson v PSG. It was 10 out of 10. It was perfection.
“This was one for the ages. There have been so many special European nights delivered by Liverpool players, delivered by Liverpool as a team, and this was right up there with the very best.
“Alisson was so good that he broke PSG. They had comprehensively outplayed Liverpool. Their young team had run all over them, creating chance after chance. They had 27 shots but did not score. They had an XG – expected goals – of 1.82 but did not score. They had three big chances, and it felt like a lot more, and did not score. All because of Alisson, who reduced them to snatching at pot-shots when well-placed just to try to beat him. He demoralised them to that degree.
“There has been so much talk of keeping big players at Liverpool, of the contracts of Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold running down, that the supreme quality of one player – Alisson – is often taken for granted. Liverpool have even signed his replacement, Giorgi Mamardashvili, but Alisson will take some dislodging if he wants to stay. He remains the world’s best goalkeeper, whatever the claims of others…
“It was beginning to feel faintly ridiculous, and even more so when Liverpool broke and Elliott scored. PSG had overcommitted. Alisson was frankly unbelievable but so, in truth, was the result.”
Miguel Delaney ofthe Independent wrote how Liverpool’s victory ‘defied logic’.
He wrote: “Écraser et attraper, as those at the Parc des Princes might say. What else can you say, after a victory that defied a lot of logic – but not all logic? Liverpool got away with one, and they have to now think this stunning 1-0 away to Paris Saint-Germain gets them halfway into the quarter-final.
“A young Paris Saint-Germain will now only feel regret, after what must have been one of the great unfulfilled Champions League performances. It should have been one of the great performances, full-stop.
“That might instead be said of Alisson Becker, who did so much more than set the stage for impact substitute Harvey Elliott’s 87th-minute winner, or keep Liverpool in the game. He kept them from getting hammered.
“PSG were worth so much more than this 0-1, and looked far greater value than the expensive and indulged side that have characterised this Qatari sportswashing project in the past. It was striking how their attack made a recently revitalised Liverpool look so utterly pedestrian. The final scoreline doesn’t change that.
“You could see why Arne Slot already had designs on changing his entire forward line in the summer. The Premier League’s top scorers – by a massive 13 goals – couldn’t match PSG’s fire. At least for sparkle and a sense of energy.
“The crucial fact is that Liverpool scored and PSG didn’t, although that was more down to Alisson’s brilliance and blind luck rather than anything else… PSG just kept seeing Alisson’s hands. They did most of the grabbing, only for Elliott to smash it.”
And finally, theLiverpool ECHO’s own Chief LFC writer, Ian Doyle, pointed how Arne Slot helped turn the tide with ‘tactical tweaks’ in Paris to leave the locals stunned and silenced.
He wrote: “The disbelieving Parc des Princes fell completely silent apart from one small corner of the stadium. There, in similar astonishment, bounced the Liverpool supporters delighting in the realisation they may have witnessed one of the great smash and grab raids in the club’s long and illustrious European history…
“Liverpool, aided by first tactical tweaks and then switching to a box midfield after the changes from the bench, began to show some signs of attacking threat on the counter.
“And that paid dividends three minutes from time. Fittingly, it was a long punt from Alisson that caused the danger, Nunez too strong for Marquinhos and then showing presence of mind to tee up Elliott to score.
“Cue bedlam in the away end, silence everywhere else. Another famous Anfield European night now beckons.”