In a thrilling night of Champions League football, Liverpool pulled off a smash-and-grab victory over Paris Saint-Germain, thanks to super-sub Harvey Elliott’s late strike. The 87th-minute winner gave the Premier League leaders a 1-0 advantage in their last-16 first-leg clash at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday.
Elliott, who had just replaced Mohamed Salah, wasted no time making his mark, firing home from a Darwin Núñez assist with his very first touch. The goal came against the run of play, as PSG had dominated for most of the match, registering a staggering 28 shots compared to Liverpool’s two.
Alisson the Hero as PSG Dominates
Despite PSG’s relentless pressure, Liverpool’s Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker produced a string of stunning saves to keep the French giants at bay. The hosts thought they had taken the lead in the first half when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia curled a beautiful effort into the net, only for VAR to rule it out for a marginal offside.
PSG, under Luis Enrique, had been in red-hot form, winning 10 consecutive games and scoring 21 goals in their last five Champions League outings. However, their wastefulness in front of goal mirrored their early-season struggles, when they faltered against the likes of Arsenal, Atlético Madrid, and Bayern Munich.
Liverpool’s Grit Seals the Win
With PSG piling on the pressure, Liverpool had to dig deep. Salah, usually their talisman, was kept quiet, and the Reds struggled to break out of their own half. But football can be cruel, and just when it seemed like the night would belong to PSG, Liverpool struck.
Alisson’s long clearance found Núñez, who won the aerial duel and laid it off perfectly for Elliott to rifle the ball past Gianluigi Donnarumma. The goal silenced the Parisian crowd and handed Liverpool a crucial edge heading into next week’s return leg at Anfield.
If the Reds can finish the job at home, they will face either Aston Villa or Club Brugge in the quarter-finals. However, PSG has shown they are more than capable of bouncing back, setting up an explosive second-leg showdown.
