Paris Saint-Germain entered the second leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 match against Liverpool with confidence, and their belief was well-founded.
In the first leg at Parc des Princes, PSG showcased dominance but surprisingly suffered a defeat. Despite Alisson’s strong performance, Harvey Elliott scored late, giving Liverpool a lead heading into the Anfield return leg. Historically, no team losing to Liverpool at home in the Champions League had managed to qualify at Anfield, but PSG changed that narrative on Tuesday night.
Ousmane Dembélé equalized the aggregate score with an early goal, leading the game to a penalty shootout. Liverpool’s Darwin Nuñez and Curtis Jones had their penalty attempts saved. Les Parisiens successfully converted all four of their penalties, securing their place in the Champions League quarter-finals.
“We proved our strength as a team. Are we at our peak? Absolutely not. This is just the beginning. Our mindset is focused on continuous improvement,” Luis Enrique stated to Canal Plus in French during his post-match interview.
“Today’s match was incredibly challenging against a very strong Liverpool side. Maintaining possession was difficult, but our mentality and character, especially with Gigio’s (Gianluigi Donarumma) outstanding penalty saves, were key to our victory. Now, we need to rest, recover, and celebrate this achievement,” the PSG manager added.