Liverpool 0-1 PSG: Penalty heartbreak for Reds as Vitinha shines in UCL for Parisians | OneFootball

Liverpool crashed out of the Champions League at the round-of-16 stage with a penalty shootout defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday.

After dominating the league phase — alongside the Premier League — Liverpool sat out the first knockout round and went into this tie as huge favourites against a PSG side that finished 15th in the table and had to battle past fellow French side Brest to reach this stage.

However, PSG proved in Paris last week that they’re a side not to be messed with, outshooting the Reds 27-2 to the tune of 1.78 to 0.27 on the xG stakes; only losing 1-0 thanks to some Alisson Becker heroics between the sticks.

The Parisians picked up at Anfield where they left off at the Parc des Princes, levelling the tie up on aggregate thanks to a 12th-minute Ousmane Dembele goal, the France international tapping into an open net after a misdirected Ibrahima Konate interception — all after a sweeping forward move by PSG. That’s Dembele’s 21st goal in 16 appearances across all competitions in 2025, the most of any player in Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues.

The game ebbed and flowed from there, with both sides enjoying periods of pressure and calling upon goalkeepers Alisson and Gianluigi Donnarumma to keep it 1-1 on aggregate — PSG were also helped by a sensational defensive display from Portuguese left-back Nuno Mendes, who made four tackles, eight clearances, three interceptions, eight recoveries and two blocks, including one to stop Mohamed Salah from close range in the opening minutes.

Even at the most formidable away ground in Europe right now, PSG were able to maintain a level of dominance, ending extra-time with 54% possession and 21 shots to Liverpool’s 19. That was thanks in no small part to Mendes’ compatriot Vitinha, who exuded class in midfield.

By the time the 120 minutes was up, Vitinha had 136 touches of the ball, completed 103 passes and created two chances, while making five tackles, six clearances, one block, two interceptions and seven recoveries. The 25-year-old put in a similar performance last week and is only the second PSG player on record (since 2003/04) to complete 100+ passes in both legs of a Uefa Champions League knockout stage tie, after Thiago Motta in 2015/16 vs Chelsea (last 16).

It was fitting, then, that Vitinha got PSG started in the shootout, beating Alisson with the eyes to force the Brazilian into a flat-footed attempt at a save.

Mohamed Salah followed up to level the tie but from there, Liverpool collapsed in front of a rabid PSG following, with efforts from both Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones being saved by the heroic Donnarumma, amid perfectly dispatched spot-kicks from Goncalo Ramos, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue.

Liverpool must now dust themselves down and recover quickly with a Carabao Cup final against Newcastle United to look forward to this weekend and, beyond that, a Premier League title to seal.

As for PSG, their hunt for a first-ever Champions League title continues as they await the winner of Aston Villa and Club Brugge in the quarter-finals.