Liverpool manager Arne Slot admitted his side were fortunate to snatch a 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League last-16 first leg on Wednesday, hailing Harvey Elliott as the unlikely hero.
Despite PSG dominating large spells of the match and racking up 28 attempts on goal, Liverpool held firm before Elliott netted an 87th-minute winner with his first touch after coming on for Mohamed Salah. Slot conceded that his team had been second best for much of the night.
“If we had drawn here, we would have already been the lucky ones. That is clear for everyone,” Slot said. “They were the much better team today, especially in the first half. They had three or four clear chances, and it was almost a miracle that it was 0-0 at half-time.”
Liverpool’s resilience was largely down to the brilliance of goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who made a series of crucial saves. But Slot pointed to his side’s ability to strike on the counter as the key to their late success.
“We felt like we could hurt them in transitions, but we waited until the last moment to do it,” he added.
Elliott’s goal, set up by Darwin Nunez, was his third in as many Champions League matches. Slot praised the 21-year-old midfielder for his attitude despite limited playing time.
“It was a big moment for him. I understand he gets frustrated about game time, but he just keeps going. I have to give him big compliments for that,” Slot said. “And not just him, but also Darwin Nunez, who came from a difficult couple of games but was absolutely there tonight. From the moment he came on, we were more of a threat.”
Before Elliott’s late strike, Liverpool appeared on course to draw a blank for just the fourth time this season, having struggled to cope with PSG’s relentless attacking play.
“Luis Enrique has built an incredible team here. It was an unbelievable challenge for us to get a result, and we know it will be a tough game in the return leg,” Slot said.
PSG manager Luis Enrique, whose side had won 10 consecutive matches before this defeat, felt his team deserved much more.
“We were far superior to Liverpool in terms of how we played and the chances we created,” he said. “Against one of the best teams in Europe, we put in a complete performance, defended well, took risks, and clearly deserved another result. But football is often unfair, and we have to accept it.”
Despite the defeat, Enrique remained confident that PSG can still turn things around at Anfield next week.
“Without any doubt, we can still qualify. Today we deserved much more. Their best player was the goalkeeper, which tells you everything about how the game went.”
