PSG left surprised by Liverpool’s level and time-wasting antics | OneFootball

PSG players have been left surprised by the level displayed by Liverpool in Wednesday’s Champions League RO16 first leg at Paris’ Parc des Princes. Arne Slot’s Reds eventually came away 1-0 winners courtesy of Harvey Elliott’s 87th-minute dagger, but the runaway Premier League leaders were indebted to a supreme goalkeeping performance from Alisson Becker. PSG were so dominant that Luis Enrique’s Parisiens were far from resigned despite the daunting prospect on their hands to win the second leg at Anfield, according to L’Equipe.

The outlet understands that PSG’s performance against a Liverpool team that topped the Champions League standings has only fuelled their confidence that they can qualify for the quarter-finals. PSG players are reportedly “obsessed” by Tuesday’s game at Anfield. Internally, the Ligue 1 leaders were even left surprised by the margin of their domination against Liverpool, whose level has also taken them aback. PSG players feel Arsenal and Bayern Munich – their adversaries in the league phase – are stronger and more complete as a team than Arne Slot’s Reds.

Liverpool’s time-wasting antics have also taken PSG by surprise. Centre-back Virgil van Dijk entered the books for doing so, but Slot denied the Premier League leaders intended to make the game as short as possible. “I didn’t feel we were time-wasting, we just tried to play the game, but it was clear as the game passed by that a draw was the best possible result for us”, the Dutchman said in his post-game presser in Paris.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval