'Robbery' - French press react to Liverpool's smash-and-grab win at PSG as Mohamed Salah gets 3/10 rating

Evening Standard

·6 de marzo de 2025

'Robbery' - French press react to Liverpool's smash-and-grab win at PSG as Mohamed Salah gets 3/10 rating

Front page of L'Équipe on Thursday sums up the feelings in Paris after Harvey Elliott’s late winner stuns the Parc des Princes

Super-sub: Harvey Elliott came off the bench to score Liverpool’s winning goal at PSG

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Liverpool’s shock late smash-and-grab Champions League win over Paris Saint-Germain appears to have provoked a strong reaction from the French press.

Late substitute Harvey Elliott slotted a Darwin Nunez pass in low off the hand of Gianluigi Donnarumma with his first touch in the 87th minute to spark jubilant scenes in the away end at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night, just 47 seconds after being sent on as a replacement for Mohamed Salah.

That last-gasp effort sealed a hugely fortuitous 1-0 win for Liverpool to take back to Anfield for next week’s all-important last-16 second-leg decider, despite Arne Slot’s side having been otherwise absolutely dominated in a totally one-sided battle of the respective champions-elect of France and England.

Reds goalkeeper Alisson Becker was in the form of his life to make no fewer than nine crucial saves on the night, with PSG registering a whopping total of 27 shots - with 10 on target - to Liverpool’s two across the 90 minutes.

Liverpool legend and pundit Jamie Carragher admitted the result was “one of the biggest robberies you will ever see in football” as he hailed the best performance of his career from Alisson, who was also hailed by his manager Slot as the best goalkeeper on the planet after his remarkable clean sheet in Paris.

PSG boss Luis Enrique fumed that the outcome was “unfair” and an “injustice”, but was confident that his side could turn the tie around on Merseyside next Tuesday night.

French sports newspaper L'Équipe’s front-page headline on Thursday morning read simply ‘Braquage A L'Anglaise’ - ‘English Robbery’ - while their player ratings also told the tale of what was otherwise a very difficult Liverpool performance aside from the heroics of Alisson.

The Brazilian was awarded a nine, while centre-backs Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate were the only other Reds players given above a five out of ten as they scored sixes for their respective performances at the back.

Alexis Mac Allister received a five in midfield and manager Slot was rated a seven, but otherwise it was all fours for Liverpool, while star forward Salah and left-back Andy Robertson received lowly threes. The team average was 4.7.

The highest-rated PSG players by contrast according to L'Équipe were midfielders Joao Neves and Vitinha, who each got sevens.

Otherwise it was fives and sixes including for Enrique for a general average of 5.8, while goalkeeper Donnarumma only got a four for failing to keep out Elliott’s late winner.