Harvey Elliott made an instant impact off the bench, scoring with his first touch to secure a dramatic 1-0 victory for Liverpool against Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 encounter on Wednesday. Elliott, who had just replaced Mohamed Salah, latched onto a Darwin Núñez assist in the 87th minute to hand the Premier League leaders a vital advantage ahead of next week’s return fixture at Anfield.
Despite dominating large spells of the match, PSG were left stunned by the late twist at the Parc des Princes. The French champions, led by Luis Enrique, had 28 shots to Liverpool’s two, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia seeing an early goal ruled out for offside.
Goalkeeper Alisson Becker was instrumental in keeping the visitors in the game, making a series of outstanding saves as PSG relentlessly pressed forward. “To come away with a win here was more than we probably deserved,” admitted Liverpool manager Arne Slot. Alisson, whose heroics kept the scoreline level until Elliott’s late strike, described it as “probably the performance of my life.”
For much of the game, Liverpool struggled to impose themselves, with Salah unusually quiet and their attack largely nullified by PSG’s pressing. However, the Merseyside club will now head into the second leg full of confidence, knowing that progression to the quarterfinals—where they could face Aston Villa or Club Brugge—is within reach. PSG, meanwhile, will take heart from their dominant display and remain optimistic about turning the tie around in England. “I know that in football, goals are what matter, but our performance takes us closer,” said midfielder Vitinha. “I’m sure we will play with the same character at Anfield and win.”
PSG had come into the game in hot form, winning their last 10 matches and scoring 21 goals in their previous five Champions League outings. However, their finishing let them down on the night, reminiscent of their early struggles in the group stage against Arsenal, Atlético Madrid, and Bayern Munich. Kvaratskhelia, a January signing, led the attack alongside Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé, while Liverpool, missing Cody Gakpo, fielded Diogo Jota for his first Champions League appearance since October.
The match had been billed as one of Liverpool’s toughest tests this season, and it lived up to that expectation for long periods. PSG, no longer reliant on individual superstars, showcased a cohesive and aggressive style under their intense Spanish coach, pushing Liverpool deep into their own half with 65% possession.
Kvaratskhelia thought he had broken the deadlock in the first half after collecting a pass from Vitinha and curling the ball past Alisson, but VAR ruled the goal out for offside. The hosts continued to pile on the pressure, with João Neves missing a golden opportunity and Alisson making crucial stops to deny both Dembélé and Barcola. PSG’s high-energy pressing prevented Liverpool from finding any rhythm, and even Salah could not make an impact.
A second-half VAR check for a potential red card against Ibrahima Konaté, after he appeared to foul Barcola on the edge of the box, ultimately saw the Liverpool defender escape punishment. As PSG intensified their attacks, Alisson remained Liverpool’s saviour, tipping away a curling effort from substitute Désiré Doué late on. Just as it seemed the match would end goalless, Liverpool delivered the sucker punch. A long clearance from Alisson was flicked on by Núñez, allowing Elliott to fire past Gianluigi Donnarumma and stun the home crowd.
The result leaves PSG facing an uphill battle in the return leg at Anfield, but given their dominant performance, they will feel they still have a strong chance of overturning the deficit. For Liverpool, the dream of another deep Champions League run remains very much alive.
