March 5, 2025 (NAN) – Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) boss Luis Enrique maintained a sense of optimism despite his side’s frustrating 1-0 defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League last 16 first leg. However, his parting words—“Of course, we are going to do it”—felt more hopeful than certain.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!For 87 minutes, PSG dominated Liverpool, registering 27 shots—the second-most in a Champions League knockout match since 2003-04 where a team failed to score and lost. Ironically, PSG also holds the record for the most shots (30) in such a loss, having suffered a similar fate against Borussia Dortmund in last season’s semi-final.
Despite PSG’s relentless attacking display, Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson delivered a masterclass, making nine crucial saves. His counterpart, Gianluigi Donnarumma, had a quiet night until the 87th minute, when he was beaten by Harvey Elliott, Liverpool’s only shot on target.
The result shattered PSG’s 22-game unbeaten run and ended their 10-game winning streak across all competitions.
Enrique: “Football Can Be Unfair”
Enrique expressed disappointment but remained defiant:
“I don’t think it’s too difficult to analyse tonight’s game. We were far superior to Liverpool. We created more chances and produced a complete performance against one of Europe’s top sides. Football can be unfair at times.”
He remains confident in PSG’s ability to turn the tie around in the second leg, stating:
“Without a doubt, we can go through. We’ve only played the first leg. We’re a side with nothing to lose. If we can replicate tonight’s performance, we can qualify.”
PSG’s attack, led by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele, was particularly lively, with the duo managing 13 shots, six on target.
“We deserved more,” Enrique insisted. “Their best player was their goalkeeper—he was magnificent today. Today wasn’t a game based on the stats or the details. We were far superior.”
Liverpool Boss Arne Slot Acknowledges PSG’s Dominance
Liverpool manager Arne Slot admitted that his team was second-best for most of the match, saying:
“Had we got a draw, we would still have been the lucky ones. They were much the better team today.”
He praised PSG’s strength and Enrique’s tactical brilliance:
“Every underlying stat shows you they were the best side in the Champions League. I wasn’t surprised at how good they were. We were not under-par—it was just down to the quality of the opposition. Luis Enrique has created an incredible team here.”
Despite PSG’s superior performance, Liverpool hold the advantage heading into the second leg, knowing they will need to improve to withstand another expected PSG onslaught.
