Team of Liverpool FC celebrates victory during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Round of 16 First Leg match between Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool FC at Parc des Princes on March 05, 2025
What's the French for deja vu? Once again, Paris witnessed a major Champions League night involving Liverpool where the dominance of one team was quelled by an outstanding goalkeeping display to prompt a famous smash-and-grab raid.
But unlike against Real Madrid at the Stade de France in the final 2022, this time the Reds were the team celebrating a bewildering triumph all of the statistics suggested should not have been possible.
Small wonder the disbelief from Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique after Liverpool's 1-0 round of 16 first leg triumph on Wednesday night, although while bemoaning the result as being "unfair" he admitted having been around the block enough times to know such occasions aren't completely out of the ordinary.
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In some respects, Liverpool discovered how the other half has been forced to live. Having regularly dominated opponents both home and abroad since Arne Slot's arrival in the summer, the Reds were put under the cosh from virtually first minute to last by a PSG side who, after 10 successive wins and an unbeaten stretching back to November, were undoubtedly Europe's most in-form team.
There was a preparation of sorts for events at the Parc des Princes with the win at Manchester City 10 days earlier, when Liverpool embarked on an effective rearguard action in the second half. Not, though, to the extent PSG's relentless attacking ensured.
Were Slot's side fortunate? Well, yes and no. The decision to not censure Ibrahima Konate after his first-half tangle with Bradley Barcola was undoubtedly debatable, but there was nothing lucky about Alisson Becker making a string of superb saves. There's a reason he is regarded by many as the world's greatest goalkeeper.
Indeed, after the Champions League final loss to Real Madrid three years ago, the scrutiny was on Liverpool failing to make the most of their chances while praising a man-of-the-match showing from Real keeper Thibaut Courtois. Strange how the same view is not being replicated by some this time.
Not that such a backs-to-the-wall approach has ever been sustainable for any club other than the European Super League advocates, whose ability to gain maximum reward for what at times appears minimal merit has long been their calling card.
But even the greatest Liverpool sides of the past have been made to suffer on their way to European success. Several of the current squad were involved when the Reds were beaten four times on the road - including a one-sided 2-1 loss at PSG in the group stage - on the way to lifting the Champions League in 2019.
The 2005 triumph required huge defensive resolve throughout the knockout stages, while Liverpool's very first European trophy, the UEFA Cup in 1973, was won after they just about held on to a 2-0 reverse in the second leg of the final at Borussia Moenchengladbach having won 3-0 at Anfield in the first game.
With Liverpool having never before failed to progress on the 39 previous occasions they have won an away first leg in European competition, the portents are with Slot's side. Few of those past victories on the road, though, were quite as hard-earned as the one this week.
And while Premier League rivals Arsenal and Aston Villa both have one foot firmly in the quarter-finals after winning comfortably at PSV Eindhoven and Bruges respectively, nobody is claiming anything of the sort for Liverpool.
Intriguing, though, was that while Slot began at PSG with a more progressive 4-2-3-1 formation, it was only when switching to the box midfield employed throughout at City - with Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones again the double 10s but this time Darwin Nunez on the left flank - that Liverpool started to become an attacking threat.
While the Reds would rather not sit back to defend their lead in the Anfield return on Tuesday, Slot will have noted the effectiveness of the approach in the final quarter in midweek. Nevertheless, it would be a strong and perhaps brave call for Slot to start without a recognised number nine at home.
But then so much of the Dutchman's debut campaign in the Reds hotseat has defied convention. Events at the Parc des Princes were further evidence of that.