An exceptional performance from Alisson Becker and a late winner from Harvey Elliott gave Liverpool a 1-0 lead over Paris Saint-Germain in their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie, while also ending a five-game winless run in away matches on French soil.
Both teams had dominated their domestic leagues, each leading by 13 points, so it was expected that they would be separated by the smallest of margins on the European stage. PSG looked more dangerous in the opening 15 minutes, with Ibrahima Konaté blocking Bradley Barcola’s shot and Fabián Ruiz sending the follow-up wide. Ousmane Dembélé then made a run up the pitch and found João Neves for a shot that bounced off the turf and went over the crossbar, before having his own shot deflected behind by Virgil van Dijk.
The resulting corner was not cleared properly, and the ball was worked to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, whose stunning strike was ruled out for offside by a tight decision. Both Achraf Hakimi and Kvaratskhelia had long-range efforts saved as PSG continued to press. The game remained goalless as the half-hour mark passed, with Alisson rushing out to stop Dembélé, while Barcola had one shot blocked by Dominik Szoboszlai and another go over the bar.
Alisson continued to impress, denying Kvaratskhelia again to keep the score level at half-time. After the break, the Liverpool goalkeeper was forced to stay alert, tipping a free-kick wide and saving a curling attempt from Kvaratskhelia. Hakimi fired over after slipping, and the Reds cleared several dangerous balls across their goal. Liverpool had struggled going forward, with Mohamed Salah having a tough time against Nuno Mendes, and Darwin Núñez was unable to create much after being introduced by Arne Slot.
PSG substitute Désiré Doué was the latest to test Alisson, who also saved Dembélé’s curling shot. After weathering the storm, Liverpool took the lead when Núñez slid the ball across for Elliott to score with his first touch, just 47 seconds after coming off the bench, giving Liverpool a 1-0 advantage to take back to Anfield. The goal also ended PSG’s 22-game unbeaten run and 20-match scoring streak across all competitions.
