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Liverpool are out of the Champions League after suffering a penalty shootout loss to PSG.
Arne Slot has suggested that he may not take the league phase of the Champions League so serious next season - after Liverpool’s feats got them no reward.
The Reds have been eliminated from Europe’s elite club competition at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain. Slot’s men finished on top spot of the new format, taking a total of 21 points. Yet it did not mean they received an easy last-16 tie. In fact, their draw against PSG was one of the toughest they could have asked for. Luis Enrique’s side are unbeaten in Ligue 1 and are statistically the best team in Europe, according to Slot.
After 210 minutes of football the English and French champions-elect could not be separated. Liverpool took a 1-0 aggregate lead into the second leg at Anfield but that was quickly cancelled out by PSG striker Ousmane Dembele’s strike. Liverpool had the better of the second leg, but the visitors also had their chances. With the encounter at a stalemate, a penalty shootout was needed - and PSG held their nerve to win it 4-1 and dump the Reds out of the Champions League.
Certainly, the Reds could have been handed a much easier opponent, with Arsenal pitted against PSV Eindhoven and Aston Villa draw against Club Brugge. And also Liverpool will not be winning a seventh European Cup this season, Slot was proud of what his side achieved.
What’s been said
The Anfield head coach said at his post-match press conference: “I am feeling disappointed about being knocked out. I do feel in the end of the season, it does matter how we presented ourselves in Europe. I just said, we were not in the Champions League last season and this season we really showed ourselves. We can be proud of what we did. We won seven games in a row and then we played with our substitutes and lost against PSV. I think we played last week not our best game but today we saw a completely different Liverpool. We go out in a way that I think has impressed Europe.
“It is something now to take into consideration about how much worth it is to end up first in the league table if you can face Paris Saint-Germain in the next round. It is what it is. Maybe I am [speaking] too soon now but maybe it would be more fair that after the round in between, the one that wins the league table plays against the team that is lowest position after the teams have played. But that is also because we were so unlucky to play Paris Saint-Germain because we could have also gone to the other side of the draw. In the end, if you want to win the tournament you have to beat teams like Paris Saint-Germain and that’s what we didn’t do today after an incredible first 90 minutes of football from us.”
Liverpool now turn their attention to facing Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley on Sunday.
Related topics:Arne SlotEuropeChampions LeagueFootball
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