PSG Eliminates Liverpool on Penalties to Reach UCL Quarters

On Tuesday night, PSG escaped past Liverpool 4-1 on penalties after extra time to advance into the quarterfinal of the UEFA Champions League.

It was a match between two quality sides who could have easily met each other in the Final. There was certainly a tense atmosphere in the stadium as it was a game of extremely fine margins, especially with such a slender aggregate goal advantage held by Liverpool heading into the game. Regardless, both sides played their usual open and attacking game. In the 90-minute regulation, teams split possession 50-50 and were equal on shots.

The first half saw PSG take an early lead after Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate made a clearance on the goal line that fortuitously fell into the path of PSG winger Ousmane Dembele, who was able to tap the ball into an empty net and put the tie 1-1 on aggregate.

Much of the match thereafter saw Liverpool regain control temporarily. Dominik Szoboszlai thought he had equalized in the 2nd half after a scramble on the goal line, but Luis Diaz was judged to have been offside in the build-up.

For most of the second half, both sides looked sloppy and tired. Liverpool misplaced 19% of their passes as Diaz and Mohamed Salah consistently ran into walls in the PSG defense, who held Liverpool to an inferior 1.55 xG in the first 90 minutes despite needing a goal to advance. Striker Diogo Jota was substituted for Darwin Nunez, who similarly struggled and seemed out of sync with his teammates.

The match went into extra time 1-1 on aggregate. You’d be forgiven for thinking that both sides would have preferred going straight to a penalty shootout judging by the quality of play, as they exchanged turning the ball over and made tired-looking passes.

With neither side being separated after 120 minutes, Liverpool had to once again rely on Alisson Becker’s heroics from the first leg to have a chance at advancing in a penalty shootout. In the end, it was PSG and Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma who would be the hero, saving two penalties from Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones in the shootout to confirm PSG into the quarterfinal.

PSG is set to play either Club Brugge or Aston Villa in the quarterfinals.