Liverpool took the decision to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a late goal by substitute Harvey Elliott. This goal helped The Kop win by a minimum right on Paris St Germain's field.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot warned before the match that his side should prepare for the Ligue 1 championship. And that was certainly proven when the "Red Brigade" was defeated for most of the match at the Parc des Princes.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia seemed to have helped PSG open the scoring but was disallowed for offside after checking VAR. Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola also had the opportunity to take the lead for Luis Enrique's team, but goalkeeper Alisson Becker played extremely well.
That opened up an opportunity for Elliott - who came on to replace Mohamed Salah - to score in the 87th minute. Liverpool will now keep their fragile advantage in the return match at Anfield next week.
This season, Liverpool have defeated Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and Manchester City (twice). But this victory, against a formidable PSG side at the Parc des Princes, could be their best of the campaign.
Not in terms of performance, don't confuse, Liverpool were defeated if you look at the game. They only controlled the ball under 30% and had only 1 shot on target compared to PSG's 10.
However, it is important that Liverpool's only shot became a goal, giving the Premier League leaders a valuable advantage.
"5am, we have to see if they overwhelm us and if they do, we will have to suffer the same as the match against Manchester City," Slot said at a press conference before the match.
The Dutch strategist's words have come true. Slot and his players certainly cannot be satisfied with their performance in France, as they did in the 2-0 win at the Etihad last month. However, it is important that they know how to give up pride in exchange for a necessary victory, even though it is a bit ugly.
Of course, their place in the quarter-finals is still not guaranteed. Liverpool are sometimes lucky and PSG, based on what they have shown, will certainly confidently create many opportunities at Anfield.
In the end, the "Red Brigade" added the name PSG to their list of losers this season. And if they can advance to the quarter-finals, it would not be too much to say that Liverpool are the leading candidate for the championship.
"Today, if Liverpool have a draw against PSG, it will be a blessing. It was clear that PSG played much better than Liverpool, especially in the first half.
They created many opportunities from live football. In the second half, PSG continued to play better, launching more shots on target but mainly from outside the penalty area. I had expected this and today I know how good PSG are" - Slot said.
