PLAYER RATINGS | PSG 0-1 Liverpool: Dominant Parisiens stunned by late Harvey Elliott winner | OneFootball

UEFA Champions League, Round of 16, 05/03/25

Harvey Elliott stunned Paris Saint-Germain with a late winner at the Parc des Princes in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie (0-1). Liverpool had relied on Alisson to keep them in the game for much of the game before Elliott’s late sucker punch.

The Match

PSG were dominant but wasteful in the first half. Luis Enrique emphasised the importance of having possession and they had plenty of that (68% in the first half) and it should have manifested in a lead. João Neves missed the first of several clear PSG chances, striking the ball into the ground with a first-time effort unmarked inside the Liverpool box with the ball rebounding onto the roof of the net.

Khivcha Kvaratskhelia then had the ball in the net, getting on the ball from the second phase of a corner and curling into the far corner. However, the Georgian was slow in getting back onside and the goal was marginally offside.

Then came the moment of contention. Ibrahima Konaté looked to have shouldered Bradley Barcola, in on goal, in the back. The France international went down – the referee awarded nothing and VAR agreed. But even 11 versus 11, Les Parisiens continued to carve Liverpool open.

Ousmane Dembélé, so efficient in recent weeks (18 goals in 2025 prior to the match), missed a straight-forward one-on-one against Alisson with Barcola then missing the rebound, despite having two bites of the apple. Alisson was then called into action again from a Kvaratskhelia shot towards his near post. The Brazilian had a strong right hand to keep out the deflected effort.

The barrage relented somewhat in the second half although Liverpool continued to be impotent in possession with Mohamed Salah kept particularly quiet against the club with whom he has been heavily linked. Alisson continued to prove decisive in goal, denying Kvaratskhelia’s free-kick and tipping a sumptuous curled effort from substitute Désiré Doué around the corner.

PSG were punished for their wastefulness. Les Parisiens failed to take their chances. Liverpool had one and took it with substitute Elliott curling into the far corner beyond Gianluigi Donnarumma, who should arguably have done better having got a glove on the effort. PSG therefore head to Anfield next week with regrets from this first leg and with a deficit to overturn.

PSG player ratings

Gianluigi Donnarumma – 3

The sign of a great goalkeeper is making the stop when called upon after a quiet match. Liverpool didn’t test the Italian throughout with all of the action down the other end. He was called upon for the first time on the 87th minute and he failed to answer the call, getting too weak a touch on Elliott’s curled effort. The difference between Donnarumma and Alisson down the other end was day and night.

Nuno Mendes – 5

He was a big factor in keeping Salah quiet for much of the night. Sometimes sloppy in possession, he was infallible defensively for 87 minutes but was then caught completely at sea for Elliott’s late winner.

Willian Pacho – 8

Marquinhos – 6

Achraf Hakimi – 6

Fabián Ruiz – 6

João Neves – 6

Vitinha – 8

Bradley Barcola – 5

Ousmane Dembélé – 6

Dembélé has been a player transformed in 2025. Less explosive and more efficient, he has added stats to his game but against Liverpool, often out wide rather than centrally, he was electric in eliminating defenders. But he lacked the finishing touch, which for much of his career has deserted him but not in recent weeks. He missed the one-on-one in the first half and was erratic with his finishing throughout.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – 7

Liverpool player ratings

Alisson – 9

Clearly the man of the match and the one who provided the game-defining performance. The Brazilian made nine saves on the night and succeeded in frustrating the PSG forward line, notably denying Dembélé in a one-on-one and making two important saves in the second half.

Andy Robertson – 4

Virgil Van Dijk – 5

Ibrahima Konaté – 3

Trent Alexander-Arnold – 6

Given what was put in front of him, with Barcola, Kvaratskhelia and Mendes all coming into his zone during the match, there were fears that Alexander-Arnold would be exposed defensively. It wasn’t the case with the Englishman remaining solid and making two important defensive interventions to deny good chances.

Dominik Szoboszlai – 4

Alexis Mac Allister – 4

Ryan Gravenberch – 4

Luis Diaz – 4

Diogo Jota – 4

Mohamed Salah – 2

Salah, touted as the current favourite for the Ballon d’Or, was a phantom. The Egyptian was uninvolved for large periods, comfortably shackled by Mendes and Pacho. He didn’t make any of his three dribbles, lost all eight of his duels and lost possession on 16 occasions.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle