Heartbreak At Anfield: Liverpool Fall To PSG On Penalties | OneFootball

By Aiden Gharibian

Liverpool are beaten 4–1 on penalties by Paris Saint-Germain, after falling short in both full-time and extra time at Anfield. The Parisians have sent Liverpool out of the Champions League in the Round of 16 in heartbreaking circumstances for the Reds. Liverpool will be disappointed not only to lose at home but also to fall short in the penalty shootout. However, what exactly went wrong for the Reds today?

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For starters, Liverpool released the same exact starting lineup today as they did against PSG in the first leg, where they were outplayed over the entirety of the match. This definitely raises some question marks, also considering most of these players started in last weekend’s fixture against Southampton. This match could have been a great opportunity to rest some clearly fatigued players, especially with Liverpool sitting 15 points clear of Arsenal. Additionally, it’s evident that Ryan Gravenberch is being overplayed, as the Dutchman has started every crucial match for the Reds — an intense workload considering his limited game time in previous seasons. Another area of confusion for Liverpool fans was the selection of penalty takers. Many supporters and neutrals alike anticipated a miss from Darwin Núñez, while Curtis Jones, who has never taken a penalty in his professional career, was also a surprising choice. Two players with wonderful penalty shooting records Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai were also substituted out by Arne Slot. But apart from strange team selections, what else went wrong for Liverpool on the pitch today?

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The goal Liverpool conceded stemmed from Ibrahima Konaté’s sloppy defence. The defender unnecessarily outstretched his leg when Alisson was in a position to claim the ball, ultimately leading to the costly mistake. Moreover, it’s been said that this team “lives or dies” by Mohamed Salah — a player who was virtually invisible today. His underwhelming performances across both legs were far from his usual brilliance, and it’s clear Liverpool suffered because of it. Combine this with a disappointing display from the rest of the forward line and visible fatigue across multiple areas of the pitch, and it’s clear that Liverpool’s Champions League exit was a deserved one.