Désiré Doué effortlessly laid out the match-winning penalty, and Luis Enrique erupted into uncontrolled celebration, sprinting across the Anfield pitch. Enrique still basked in the glory even as Paris Saint-Germain players and officials disappeared down the tunnel. His reaction was symbolic of the importance of the victory—PSG had just defeated one of the most potent barriers to their much-delayed Champions League triumph.
Liverpool, though for so much of the game were superior, found themselves on the wrong side of fortune in an enthralling last-16 second-leg affair. A replica of the opening leg, they controlled the contest but were instead left to take a 1-0 beating. This time, it was Gianluigi Donnarumma who held center stage. The Italian keeper, known for his calm in crisis situations, stopped Darwin Núñez and Curtis Jones in the penalty shootout, allowing PSG to progress to the next stage. Ousmane Dembélé’s first-half strike had wiped out Liverpool’s aggregate lead, and the game was now set for a dramatic finale.
PSG’s precision in the penalty shootout was faultless. Vitinha, who controlled the midfield play masterfully all night, along with Gonçalo Ramos, Dembélé, and ultimately Doué, converted their spot-kicks with surgical accuracy. Liverpool’s reply was weak, with Mohamed Salah the only player to score from 12 yards. It was a disappointing night for Salah, whose 120-minute performance was marked by missed opportunities. Ultimately, Liverpool’s failure to take advantage of their dominance cost them dear, and Donnarumma, whose heroics were reminiscent of his Euro 2020 final display, once again became irreplaceable in a high-pressure penalty shootout.
Enrique had remarked on the eve of the match, “Whoever wins tomorrow will go through to the final, I’ve no doubt.” His exuberance at full-time underscored the weight of his belief. The encounter had been a true spectacle—an electrifying clash between two of Europe’s finest teams. Arne Slot, reflecting on the experience, described it as the best match of his career, though for Liverpool, it was an excruciating one.
Early on, Liverpool played with the energy that had been missing in Paris. They harried PSG continuously, turning around the passive way of play which had dominated their first-leg performance. In four minutes, Alexis Mac Allister presented a golden chance to Salah, squaring unselfishly after he was picked by a smart layoff from Dominik Szoboszlai. Salah was all but bound to double Liverpool’s overall lead, but his attempt deflected off Nuno Mendes and flew over the crossbar. Later, he drifted past Mendes once more and cut inside before slicing his shot wide. The early misses set the tone for a night of spurned chances for the Egyptian striker.
PSG, shaken initially, took time to get into their groove. Defenders Willian Pacho and Achraf Hakimi, as well as Donnarumma, added to the tension with rare misplaced passes. But football’s vagaries were again at work. Having mustered none of their 27 attempts in the first leg, PSG scored with their first try of the second.
Liverpool’s high-intensity pressing exposed them when Mendes played a sharp diagonal pass from deep, skipping the midfield altogether. Dembélé brought it under his control in space and set free Bradley Barcola, who tried to play a return pass back into the box. Ibrahima Konaté intercepted but could only play the ball behind Alisson into his own goal, setting up Dembélé with an easy tap-in to equal the tie.
Alisson was then brought on to maintain Liverpool’s chances, making important saves to keep Barcola and Dembélé out before halftime. Dembélé remained a menace, playing it back to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who fired in a powerful shot. It was bound for the top corner before Ryan Gravenberch’s stretchy boot deflectively kicked it over the crossbar. Dembélé’s curled shot on the edge of the box was also foiled by a deflection, giving Liverpool life.
Even as they created a flurry of opportunities, Liverpool were time and again thwarted by Donnarumma. Núñez was agonizingly close on more than one occasion, while Salah’s wayward finishing continued. Extra time did not see any breakthroughs occur, and as the game approached penalties, the tension within Anfield was electric.
Next, Donnarumma reiterated himself as a goalie for the big tournaments. The towering Italian, who already was PSG’s first-choice European campaigner, played well again. His Liverpool-killing saves from Núñez and Jones sealed their fate, while PSG takers were astonishingly calm under pressure and dispatched their spot-kicks with lethal precision.
The result of the match was clear as Liverpool players drowned in despair and PSG players celebrated. Enrique’s team has passed one of their biggest tests, and now that one important hurdle has been cleared, their quest for European glory is not over yet. It was a heart-breaking disappointment for Liverpool, a night of dominance wasted by their failure to capitalize on opportunities when most needed.
