LIVERPOOL, England — Liverpool’s head coach Arne Slot just called the second leg of their Champions League showdown with Paris Saint-Germain the “best game of football” he’s ever been in, even though they got knocked out on penalties. Crazy, right?
In the first game, Liverpool managed to snag a win with a last-minute goal from Harvey Elliott in Paris, but things took a turn at Anfield when Ousmane Dembélé scored for PSG, leveling things up on aggregate.
Then came the penalty shootout where Gianluigi Donnarumma was a wall, stopping shots from both Darwin Núñez and Curtis Jones, while Désiré Doué scored the winning penalty for PSG.
Slot shared his thoughts after the match, saying, “Man, that was the best footballing experience I’ve ever had. I might not have a long history with Liverpool like other coaches, but both teams played at such a high level. Seriously, the intensity in the first 25 minutes was off the charts!”
He added, “Looking at the scoreboard though, it was tough since we were 1-0 down. Over the game, I felt we played well enough not to lose. And sure, maybe we deserved to go to extra time. In those added minutes, PSG looked a bit sharper, and then it all came down to penalties, which we lost.”
Even with this hiccup, Liverpool ended up topping their Champions League group, scoring wins in seven out of eight games. They’ve only suffered one loss in the Premier League this season, keeping a comfy 15-point lead at the top.
Slot, in his first season with Liverpool, is trying to stay hopeful. “Yeah, it’s a bummer and maybe I shouldn’t say this to the players now, but last season we weren’t even in the Champions League. And if we’re going to exit, let’s at least do it after putting up a good fight against one of the best teams in Europe.”
He mentioned that it’s kind of unfair being number one in the group but then facing PSG right away, but they’ll take it on the chin and come back stronger next season.
Next up, Liverpool has to shake off this disappointment as they prepare for the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle United this weekend. However, they might be missing some key players, as both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konaté had to leave the game early on Tuesday.
Slot said, “I need to check, but Ibou seemed more tired than injured. Trent had to come off though, which isn’t a good sign. From what I heard from those who saw it, it didn’t look great for him, so I’d be shocked if he’s ready for Sunday.”
“The silver lining is we’re heading into a final on Sunday, and that’s exactly what you play football for—being in finals!”
