Harvey Elliott needed just 47 seconds to make his mark, scoring a dramatic late winner as Liverpool stunned Paris Saint-Germain with a 1-0 victory in the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie.
Despite enduring a relentless PSG onslaught, facing 27 of the game’s 29 shots, Arne Slot’s men somehow emerged victorious.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s breathtaking strike was chalked off for offside, and Ibrahima Konaté was fortunate to escape a red card, yet Liverpool held firm.
Then, in the 87th minute, Elliott delivered the decisive blow, sweeping home the only goal of the game.
This season, Liverpool have dominated teams with their attacking football, but this gritty triumph might be even sweeter. PSG, who entered the clash riding a 10-game winning streak, had numerous opportunities and will feel they missed a golden chance in Paris.
However, with the second leg at Anfield looming, they remain a serious threat.
With a commanding 13-point lead in the Premier League and a top finish in the revamped Champions League league phase, Liverpool have a strong case as Europe’s top team.
But Slot was quick to temper expectations: “We have to win it before you can say this.”
PSG’s Relentless Pressure Meets Liverpool’s Resistance
PSG came out firing, attacking with ferocity from the first whistle. Slot acknowledged the sheer threat posed by their new-look frontline, describing them as “three fighter jets” following the January addition of Kvaratskhelia. Before this match, Luis Enrique’s team had won every game in which their front three had started together.
Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembélé were electric. The Georgian winger thought he had broken the deadlock with a stunning strike, only for VAR to rule him offside.
Moments later, Bradley Barcola was clearly shoved by Konaté in the box, but the officials waved play on.
Kvaratskhelia’s inclusion ahead of Desire Doue raised eyebrows, as French media had tipped the latter to start.
Meanwhile, Slot made only one change to the Liverpool side that defeated Newcastle, bringing Andrew Robertson back into the XI. Cody Gakpo, however, was absent from the squad.
Liverpool have suffered defeats this season, but never had they been under siege quite like this. Alisson Becker was at his brilliant best, denying Dembélé, while Dominik Szoboszlai threw himself in front of a Barcola effort. Even Joao Neves came close.
But Alisson’s finest moment came late on when he produced a stunning save to deny substitute Doue, diving to his left to push the ball away from the far corner. That stop proved crucial, setting the stage for Elliott’s moment of magic.
From Alisson to Elliott: The Winning Moment
It all started with Alisson. The Brazilian launched a long ball toward Darwin Núñez, who showed impressive strength to hold off his marker before playing it out wide to Elliott. The substitute struck first-time, catching Gianluigi Donnarumma off guard. The PSG goalkeeper should have done better—but Liverpool were in dreamland.
Slot didn’t sugarcoat his team’s performance, admitting PSG were the better side:
“Had we got a draw, we would still have been the lucky ones. They were much the better team today. In the first half, they had many chances. In the second half, they were still the better team.
“In the first half they had three or four open chances, one-on-ones, a cut back that just went over the bar. And the moment that Dembélé went one-on-one and the ball came back and two or three chances in a row, so in the first half it was almost a miracle that it was 0-0.”
Alisson’s performance was nothing short of heroic. Asked if this was his best-ever display, he told TNT Sports, “Probably of my life. The manager told us how hard it would be and we had to be ready to suffer. They have so much quality. We gave away so many chances but in the end with Harvey coming in and scoring the goal, it is unbelievable. A great story. A great night.
“They are a really good team. Hopefully, we can play a better game in the second game at home. We have to recognise the quality in the PSG team, having the ball, creating chances. It was a tough night but a happy end.”*
Elliott Punishes PSG’s Defensive Lapse
Elliott may have struggled for game time this season, but he seized his opportunity when it mattered most. Nuno Mendes had done a stellar job nullifying Mohamed Salah, but the moment he switched off, Liverpool pounced.
Mendes may have assumed Elliott’s introduction was a defensive move to help Liverpool see out the draw. Instead, the substitute raced into the box at the perfect moment. When Núñez held up the ball, Elliott burst forward at pace—and PSG paid the price.
Mendes’ frustration was evident. As the ball nestled into the far corner, the left-back’s hands went straight to his head. His lapse in concentration had cost PSG dearly.
Liverpool’s Victory in Numbers
Liverpool won despite registering 25 fewer shots than PSG—the joint-largest negative shot differential for a winning team in a Champions League knockout stage match.
They secured their sixth clean sheet in nine Champions League games this season.
PSG’s 27 shots were the second-most ever recorded in a Champions League knockout match where the losing team failed to score—behind only PSG’s 2023 loss to Borussia Dortmund.
Liverpool have now won three consecutive games while keeping clean sheets, the second time they’ve managed that feat this season.
PSG have now lost four consecutive knockout stage matches against English opposition.
Elliott’s goal, his first touch after coming on, was Liverpool’s latest-ever winning goal in a Champions League knockout match.
Elliott has now scored three goals in four Champions League appearances this season, surpassing his tally from his first nine games in the competition.
Alisson made nine saves—more than any Liverpool goalkeeper in a single Champions League game on record.
This was a win built on resilience, with Alisson at the heart of it. But in the end, it was Elliott’s fairytale moment that secured Liverpool’s smash-and-grab triumph in Paris.
