The Dutchman was proud of his team's efforts as the Premier League champions-elect bowed out of Europe on penalties
07:30, 12 Mar 2025Updated 07:30, 12 Mar 2025
Liverpool boss Arne Slot
Liverpool boss Arne Slot(Image: UEFA via Getty Images)
Arne Slot claims Liverpool's heartbreaking Champions League exit was the 'best game of football' he's ever been involved in.
The Reds' Treble dreams were destroyed on Tuesday night as PSG edged into the quarter-finals on penalties after bouncing back from last week's 1-0 defeat in Paris to level the tie at Anfield. Ousmane Dembele's 12th-minute opener put the visitors on the front foot but Liverpool spurned plenty of chances themselves in a thrilling contest. With the aggregate score locked at 1-1, the game was decided by a penalty shootout, where PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma saved two spotkicks to seal the Ligue 1 club's place in the next round.
Slot conceded his runaway Premier League leaders may have used up all their luck in France after a frustrating night at Anfield. The Dutchman said: "It was the best game of football I was ever involved in. Incredible performance, especially compared to last week. In the first 20 to 25 minutes, we were all over them, created chance after chance and all of a sudden we were 1-0 down. Probably it was almost the opposite, maybe we ran out of luck because the margins were so small tonight.
"After 90 minutes it felt we deserved more than being 1-0 down. I was waiting for us to score. I don't think the second half, apart from the last five minutes, when they threatened us once or twice. We played the perfect game, except for scoring goals, it was the same for PSG last week when they played the perfect game and didn't score, and it happened to us today.
"It's always difficult if you put so much effort in, for the first 25 minutes I've never seen them so aggressive and so intense as they were today, and then you look at the scoreboard and you're 1-0 down, an unlucky goal as well. When you put in so much effort that's sometimes difficult and in the end it comes down to penalties and we, as Dutch, know how to lose [on penalties]. It had everything you'd like to see from a football game. From a Liverpool perspective, you'd at least like to have a draw after 90 minutes but it came down to penalties.
Article continues below
"It feels unfair to go out at this round already. You're at the top of the table then you face a team like PSG, but that's also the nice part about football. Everybody around the world enjoyed watching this game and the margins are small, and if you want to win it you have to have some luck, we had it last week, I don't think we had it today. Now it's clear what we have to do for the rest of the season - one league cup final and nine Premier League games to go."