Enrique says ‘both teams deserve to qualify’ as Liverpool crash out | OneFootball

Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique said ‘both teams deserved to qualify’ after his side eliminated Liverpool from the Champions League.

PSG prevailed on penalties after an epic last-16 tie between the teams, after Ousmane Dembeles’s early goal had tied the aggregate score at Anfield. After the French champions had suffered a smash-and-grab defeat on home soil in the first meeting, the return was an engrossing and evenly-matched encounter.

Dembele’s goal, turned in from close range after Ibrahima Konate’s cut-out of a cross fell to the forward, re-underlined PSG’s belief of a turnaround. Never before had Liverpool won the away leg of a Champions League tie and exited the competition – until now.

Unable to be separated across 210 minutes of football, it was PSG who held their nerve in the shootout. Gianluigi Donnraumma saved from Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones as the Parisians scored four from four to progress. Arguably, for the first time, PSG might be the favourites for this competition.

Enrique was full of praise for both teams at full-time, acknowledging the achievement of his team to have eliminated the runaway Premier League leaders.

“Both of the teams deserve to go to the next phase,” Enrique told Amazon Prime Video. “They play better than us here, but I think my team at Anfield, in a special stadium showed great personality and character.

“We tried to play our best, but it was difficult as they’re so intense. Both teams deserve to qualify.

“The character and personality, even when we shoot at the penalty shootout they showed great character. I think it shows clearly the team we are.

“When the draw told us about the match against Liverpool and PSG. Both managers thought the same – one of the best matches you can watch in Europe. I think both teams were great.

“It is not about consistency you have to be great in specific moments. We suffered a lot in Paris, but football is in that way. Unfair at times. Today we were lucky, they hit the post a few times.

“Gigi [Gianluigi Donnarumma] was like Alisson in the first match.

“We are happy and confident to go to the next phase.”

PSG will now face either Aston Villa or Club Brugge in the quarter-finals. The Villans hold a 3-1 lead over the Belgian outfit from the first leg.

Read – Historic Mo Salah season brings Liverpool star closer to immortality

See Also – Five who played for both PSG and Liverpool

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