Liverpool Show Champions Mentality With Ugly Win Over PSG

On Wednesday, Liverpool accomplished one of the most audacious “smash-and-grabs” you will ever see in Champions League football.

Liverpool defeated Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the first leg of the round of 16 knockout at Parc des Princes. By every metric, PSG was by far the better team, dominating possession 70 to 30, outshooting them 27 to 3 (1.78 xG to 0.27 xG), and having 12 more corners. The French Ligue 1 leaders were on a 22-game unbeaten streak in all competitions. Had there been any other goalkeeper besides Alisson Becker in the net for Liverpool, PSG would have likely gotten the victory they deserved. The Brazilian made 9 saves, and each one was arguably world-class. PSG player Khvicha Kvaratskhelia peppered the Liverpool goal all night, but Becker was an impenetrable brick wall.

But it was a moment of genius from Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliot in the 87th minute that made all the difference. Nunez took down a long ball and laid off a pass for Elliot, who found himself in acres of space on the right wing, and slotted home the winning goal in the far post past PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Elliot had only been on the pitch for 47 seconds after being substituted for Mohamed Salah, giving the Reds a vital advantage heading back to Anfield for the second leg.

The scenario bears an uncanny resemblance to another team of European royalty — Real Madrid. The 15-time Champions League (most all-time) know more than anyone the art of winning ugly. Take, for example, the 2022 Champions League final, ironically against Liverpool and also played in Paris. Liverpool controlled the match for most of the night, but it was Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois who delivered a goalkeeper masterclass akin to Alisson Becker. But despite the dominance, it was a Vinicius Jr. goal in the 59th minute that clinched their then-14th title.

It confirms one timeless truth in football (and perhaps sports as a whole): you don’t need statistics and deep analytics to win games, rather than just having the spontaneous know-how to win at any cost. Liverpool manager Arne Slot admitted post-match that PSG was the much better side, just as Jurgen Klopp did to Real Madrid three years prior. This time, the results were completely different.

Liverpool might feel some vindication over their 2022 heartache, even though there are many more games to play before they can win the prize this season. It’s proof they are capable of winning ugly, something that is a sign of champions like Real Madrid.