From topping Europe’s revamped Champions League league phase in January to crashing out by March, Liverpool’s European journey came to a halt on Tuesday night.
A 1-1 draw at Anfield left the tie tied at 1-1 on aggregate, but Paris Saint-Germain triumphed 4-1 in a penalty shootout, sending Jurgen Klopp's side packing.
Liverpool coach Arne Slot expressed frustration at the tough draw, calling his team “so, so, so unlucky” to face PSG, one of Europe’s elite, after their dominant group stage.
Despite beating the likes of Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan, the Reds were undone by a PSG side that had barely scraped through the playoffs.
The match was a dramatic affair. Ousmane Dembele's first-half goal leveled the aggregate score, canceling out Liverpool’s 1-0 win in Paris.
Slot, reflecting on the result, noted, “We go out in a way that I think we’ve impressed Europe, but it makes you question the value of topping the group if you face Paris Saint-Germain in the next round."
Despite their early struggles in the competition – losing to Arsenal, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich – PSG hit form when it mattered.
The French side had beaten Manchester City 4-2 in January and was dominant in Paris, only to concede a last-minute equalizer to Harvey Elliott.
In the second leg, PSG held firm, even surviving a header from Liverpool’s Jarrell Quansah that hit the post, while goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma stood tall in the shootout, saving penalties from Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones.
“It was the best game of football I was ever involved in,” Slot said, acknowledging the fierce competition. PSG coach Luis Enrique praised his team’s resilience, declaring, “We showed huge personality and put in a top performance – exactly what we needed.”
Liverpool’s exit marks a bitter end to their promising campaign, as they now face the reality that even dominating the group stage does not guarantee an easy path to European glory.
