Liverpool ousted from Champions League last 16 as PSG prevail in penalty shootout drama | OneFootball

Gianluigi Donnarumma denies Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones as Paris Saint-Germain book quarter-final place against Aston Villa or Club Brugge

Liverpool have exited the Champions League at the last-16 stage after a heartbreaking second-leg defeat on penalties by Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield.

Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was the hero for PSG, saving successive spot-kicks from substitutes Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones as the French giants prevailed 4-1 in a one-sided shootout on Tuesday night, with Mohamed Salah the only Reds player on target.

Desire Doue stepped up to deliver the knockout blow in front of the noisy and jubilant 3,000 travelling fans on Merseyside, after Vitinha, Goncalo Ramos and Ousmane Dembele had all similarly given Alisson - hero of last week’s victory in Paris - no chance from 12 yards.

PSG won 1-0 on the night to level the heavyweight tie on aggregate and bounce back from runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool’s smash-and-grab triumph in Paris last week, with Dembele’s early effort against the run of play swiftly cancelling out Harvey Elliott’s dramatic late winner at the Parc des Princes.

Injuries to defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konate will be of massive concern to Liverpool, who have to recover quickly ahead of Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Newcastle with a goalless period of extra time far from ideal ahead of their latest trip to Wembley.

It is a second major setback during an otherwise fairytale first season in charge at Anfield for manager Arne Slot, who also saw a weakened side dumped out of the FA Cup in the fourth round by Championship strugglers Plymouth last month.

It may also have been the final Champions League and European outing as Liverpool players for Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold, all of whom are out of contract in the summer and yet to agree extensions. An emotional Salah was seen in tears after the final whistle.

The victory keeps reigning Ligue 1 champions PSG’s hopes of finally sealing a maiden success in Europe’s elite club competition alive, with either Aston Villa or Club Brugge now awaiting in the quarter-finals as a potential all-English tie was ruled out. Villa lead Brugge 3-1 ahead of Wednesday night’s second leg at home.

With both sides unchanged from the first leg, Liverpool made an electric start to Tuesday’s game, pressing brilliantly and forcing several errors while creating strong early chances, Salah denied a certain opening goal to settle the nerves after a huge block from Nuno Mendes at the back post.

Salah then curled a shot wide after streaming down the right flank and Nuno Mendes made another important block from Van Dijk’s header as Dominik Szoboszlai then volleyed into The Kop.

However, despite that impressive opening it was PSG who took the lead against the run of play when Bradley Barcola’s return pass for Dembele inside the box was crucially taken beyond the grasp of Alisson by a sliding Konate as he tried to clear, leaving a straightforward 12th-minute tap-in for the prolific Dembele.

It was suddenly end-to-end fare as Liverpool tried to restore parity immediately, but Alisson had to come out and make another big save to stop Barcola from doubling the PSG lead and handing them the advantage in the tie.

Diogo Jota sent a header over the crossbar from a corner and Donnarumma parried a dangerous Salah cross before a heavy touch at the last allowed Alisson to smother from Dembele. Alexander-Arnold then saw an effort blocked before the wasteful Jota fired over again.

Ryan Gravenberch diverted Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s strike wide after a Dembele cut-back before the Georgian playmaker then shot straight at a grateful Alisson. Liverpool’s penalty appeals on the stroke of half-time were waved away after Fabian Ruiz’s challenge on Szoboszlai just inside the box.

Liverpool enjoyed a strong second period in normal time, with PSG captain Marquinhos booked for pulling down Luis Diaz as he will now serve an automatic one-match ban in the first leg of the quarter-finals.

The offside flag denied Szoboszlai the equaliser as he drilled home from a determined Alexander-Arnold delivery after the latter had initially struck the post and forced a save from Donnarumma in an eventful sequence.

The chances began to pile up for Liverpool as Alexander-Arnold went close again and Willian Pacho thwarted Szoboszlai before Donnarumma was at full stretch to claw away a Diaz header.

More important last-ditch blocks followed from Pacho and Kvaratskhelia as Salah was kept at bay, with more Liverpool penalty claims dismissed by Romanian referee Istvan Kovacs after a risky challenge by Nuno Mendes on Salah that looked to be just outside the box.

Alexander-Arnold received treatment and could not continue after injuring himself making a challenge near the byline as he was replaced by Jarell Quansah and Jota also made way for Nunez.

Quansah headed Andy Robertson’s expert free-kick delivery from the left against the woodwork before the offside flag was raised, while Kvaratskhelia went close again late on as both teams sought to avoid extra time, but to no avail.

There were no goals in the additional 30 minutes, with Lucas Beraldo steering a header wide and Doue just missing the target for PSG.

Slot sent on Elliott for the second half of extra time and Alisson got down low to keep out a goal-bound strike from Dembele before Liverpool then saw Konate go down twice in quick succession and hobble off, using their allotted additional substitution for extra time to bring on Wataru Endo.

The lively Doue flashed another warning shot just wide of the post and a series of tame PSG attempts were dealt with easily by Alisson, who would go on to be outshone by Donnarumma in the shootout.