Harvey Elliott’s late goal 47 seconds after coming on helped Liverpool to a stunning smash-and-grab win as they beat Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie.
Arne Slot’s side faced 27 of the game’s 29 shots, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia having a stunning goal disallowed for offside and Ibrahima Konate fortunate not to be sent off, but the Premier League leaders stole it when Elliott swept home in the 87th minute.
Liverpool have accumulated many dominant wins under Slot this season, but one suspects they will cherish this even more. PSG produced enough to be a threat back at Anfield on Tuesday but they will surely feel they have missed their chance in Paris.
With a 13-point lead in the Premier League and having finished top of the league phase in this new Champions League format, Liverpool have a credible claim to be the best team in Europe right now. “We have to win it before you can say this,” argued Slot.
PSG, on a run of 10 wins on the bounce coming into this, seemed to agree, tearing into Liverpool and creating chance after chance in the first half. They needed Alisson at his best and a couple of close VAR calls to go their way to make it to the break still level.
Slot talked of PSG having “three fighter jets” in attack following the acquisition of Kvaratskhelia in the transfer window with Luis Enrique having gone on to see his team win every subsequent game in which his front three had started prior to this clash.
It was obvious why given the displays of both the Georgian and Ousmane Dembele. Kvaratskhelia was just offside when he curled the ball brilliantly into the corner. Bradley Barcola was then clearly shoved by Konate but the officials somehow missed it.
Paul Merson reacts to Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate escaping a red card
Liverpool have lost games this season but never had to weather an onslaught like this, Alisson saved from Dembele. Dominik Szoboszlai blocked from Barcola. Joao Neves came close too. No wonder Slot admitted he would have preferred to face Benfica.
The best save of the lot came late on from substitute Desire Doue, when Alisson dived away to his left to prevent the ball going right into the far corner. Those heroics proved crucial when Elliott, on as a substitute for the quiet Mohamed Salah, had his moment.
Alisson, who else, started the move when he went long to Darwin Nunez and the striker did so well to hold the ball up, showing composure to spread the ball wide into the path of Elliott. Gianluigi Donnarumma should have done better. Liverpool will not care.
Vinny’s verdict from Paris
Sky Sports News’ Vinny O’Connor in the Parc des Princes:
Everything Alisson did tonight was exemplary. The difference tonight was that when Donnarumma needed to make his one meaningful save he couldn’t get enough on it.
Smash and grab, name on the cup, trot out all the cliches you like but it doesn’t take away what a moment that was for Harvey Elliott in a season where he’s struggled for game time…replacing Mo Salah with just minutes to go and he snatches the first leg winning goal.
But this was a win built on Alisson’s brilliance.
