Liverpool were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League after PSG bested the Reds in a penalty shootout.

The Merseyside giants were unable to make the most of the Anfield atmosphere as PSG rallied together to push Liverpool to penalties before Gianluigi Donnarumma denied Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones from the spot to send the French side through to the quarter-finals.

With Luis Diaz criticised for his performance for Liverpool coupled with Trent Alexander-Arnold coming off injured, it was a night to forget for the Reds, who head into Sunday’s League Cup final against Newcastle United at a low point.

And PSG manager Luis Enrique has now given his verdict on Liverpool’s performance and the Champions League Anfield atmosphere.

Luis Enrique praises ‘special’ Anfield and Liverpool after PSG win

Speaking to Amazon Prime after the full-time whistle, the former FC Barcelona manager shared his appreciation of Liverpool’s performance and noted that Arne Slot’s side also deserved to go through to the quarter-finals.

As well as praising Liverpool, Enrique revealed his pleasure at watching his PSG side win at Anfield, a stadium that the former Spain head coach lauded as ‘special’ given the European nights that have happened here in recent years.

Enrique said when asked about Liverpool and PSG’s performance at Anfield tonight: “I think both of the teams deserved to go to the next phase. We played better than them in Paris, they played better than us I think here.

“But I think my team showed – in a special place, a special stadium – great personality, great character. We tried to play our best but it was really difficult because they are so intense and the atmosphere was great.”

Liverpool will need to turn Anfield into a bigger weapon next season

Anfield is rightfully regarded as one of the hardest stadiums for any away side to travel to in Europe, with Jurgen Klopp turning the legendary Liverpool stadium into a real fortress during his tenure on Merseyside.

And whilst Slot has maintained that reputation, Liverpool have been caught out on a few occasions this season at Anfield, with the Reds’ one loss in the Premier League coming at home against Nottingham Forest.

With Liverpool now being eliminated from the Champions League at Anfield, Slot will be wise to try and transform the staidum into an even bigger weapon next season, something that could be done through supporters creating a hostile environment.

Mo Salah looked heartbroken after Desire Doue’s penalty confirmed Liverpool’s exit from the Champions League.

The Merseysiders were dumped out of the competition in the round of 16 after PSG punished spot-kicks Gianluigi Donnarumma saved from Curtis Jones and Darwin Nunez.

The French champions had taken the game to extra-time and penalties after Ousmane Dembele’s first-half goal cancelled out Harvey Elliott’s winner in Paris in the first leg.

Liverpool are set to next take on Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley on Sunday.

Mo Salah in tears after penalty heartbreak

Boy, oh boy, was that hard to take.

The sight of Salah in tears after the final penalty certainly won’t be making Liverpool fans at home and abroad feel any better, either.

Fabrizio Romano shared images on X (formerly Twitter), courtesy of TNT Sports coverage of our Champions League clash, of the 32-year-old’s post-match reaction as the players went over to applaud our home support.

What an absolute shame if this is indeed the right winger’s final European campaign with the club ahead of his contract expiring at the end of the campaign.

On the flip side of the coin, it’s looking likely that he’ll, at the very least, walk away with one major piece of silverware come the end of May.

https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1899593868774940735?t=gp9ehzVUO31nUQMpoclS-A&s=19

PSG nullified Salah at Anfield

Credit where credit is due to Luis Enrique’s PSG who looked a force capable of challenging for the Champions League this term.

The Egyptian King was on point creatively throughout our European encounter, supplying two key passes (courtesy of Sofascore) as Liverpool struggled to find a breakthrough on home turf.

It was just a shame we couldn’t see our No.11 impose himself on the tie with another goal to add to his burgeoning tally for the 2024/25 season (32 goals in 42 appearances across all competitions).

→ 1 shot on target

→ 2 shots off target

→ 1 shot blocked

→ 1 big chance missed

Liverpool has been dumped out of the Champions League after losing to Paris Saint-Germain in a penalty shootout which saw Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones’ spot kicks saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Liverpool has been dumped out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain after losing to Luis Enrique’s side on penalties.

After somehow coming away from the first leg in the French capital with a 1-0 lead on aggregate following Harvey Elliott’s late winner and Alisson’s heroics in net, Liverpool found themselves 1-0 down in the return leg after just 12 minutes at Anfield.

PSG forward Ousmane Dembele managed to bundle the ball home past Alisson in the Liverpool net following a mix-up at the back to give Luis Enrique’s side the lead. However, despite the first-half goal, PSG were unable to find a winner, while Liverpool failed to create any real opportunities to take control of the tie.

In the end, it came down to a penalty shootout, with Mohamed Salah and Vitinha both scoring for their respective sides with the opening two spot kicks. However, while Gonçalo Ramos dispatched his penalty, Darwin Nunez had his saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma.

The Uruguayan forward looked inconsolable walking back to his teammates who tried to comfort the Liverpool striker following his miss. Dembele then stepped up to fire home his penalty, before Donnarumma again saved a spot kick, this time from Curtis Jones.

And after Jones’ miss, Desire Doue scored from the spot to dump Liverpool out of the Champions League.

There will be more to follow on this breaking news story and Nowsoccer.net will bring you the very latest updates, pictures and video as soon as possible.

Please check back regularly for updates on this developing story as they happen.

Liverpool fans think Arne Slot made two errors in his side’s eventual Champions League last 16 penalty shootout defeat against Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield.

The Reds went into the tie 1-0 up on aggregate after Harvey Elliott’s 87th-minute strike against the run of play in Paris.

But they found themselves level again on 12 minutes of the second leg after Ousmane Dembele capitalised on a defensive error from Ibrahima Konate.

Alisson, who was superb for Liverpool in the first leg, was called into action on a number of occasions again at Anfield, while opposite number Gianluigi Donnarumma also pulled off a series of important saves.

Liverpool fans think Arne Slot made two errors

The Italian got a hand to Luis Diaz’s goalbound header in normal time in perhaps the save of the match.

But fans feel that Diaz was one of two selection errors that Slot got wrong on the night at Anfield.

One wrote: “Why Slot started Diaz and Jota is beyond me.”

A second said: “Slot starting Diaz and Jota every game when he doesn’t have to.”

A third claimed: “Chiesa not getting minutes here is strange.”

Liverpool went on to lose the penalty shootout, with Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones both missing from the spot.

PSG, meanwhile, scored all four of their penalties with aplomb. Desire Doue scored the winning penalty for Luis Enrique’s side, who were good value for their overall victory that sees them progress to the quarter-finals.

Slot’s side will now have to focus on the Premier League and this month’s Carabao Cup final.

The Reds take on Newcastle at Wembley for the opportunity to lift silverware for the first time this season. They are also 15 points clear of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table.

PSG, meanwhile, are into the quarter-finals of the competition for the second time in two seasons, having got to the semi-final last year before losing to Borussia Dortmund.

Isaac in Complete Shock and Overjoyed as an Unbelievable Dream Unfolds – You Won’t Believe the Good News Reaching Isaac from ANFIELD Today!

Isaac in Complete Shock!

Isaac woke up to the kind of news every young Liverpool fan dreams of—but never expects to hear. What started as a regular day has suddenly turned into something extraordinary, leaving him completely shocked and overjoyed. As he prepares to walk out onto the pitch  Sunday as a matchday mascot alongside his cousin, a stunning update from Anfield has set the stage for something even bigger!  

His last mascot experience was unforgettable—walking hand in hand with Liverpool’s captain, Virgil van Dijk. The pride, the excitement, the pure magic of that moment was something he thought could never happen again. But now, news coming from Anfield suggests that history might be about to repeat itself in the most spectacular way imaginable.

With Wembley fast approaching and Liverpool chasing another piece of silverware, Isaac’s dream of walking out at a final could become a reality. Could he once again step onto the grandest stage of them all, this time under the bright lights of Wembley, with Virgil by his side?

The anticipation is electric. The news is spreading fast. And as Sunday draws near, one question remains—will this be the moment that takes Isaac’s football dreams to a level he never thought possible?

Stay tuned, because this story is only just beginning!

John Aldridge has his say on Paris Saint-Germain’s approach to the Champions League last-16 second leg against Liverpool.

When I heard the comments of the PSG players and manager after the first leg, the arrogance of them struck me. You’re looking at a club that has never won a big trophy, so to come out and say what they did post-match…

They should have won, but they didn’t. We sucker-punched them. And they have been so disrespectful to us and to Anfield.

And I’m hoping the fans respond on Wednesday night and the players win their personal battles. We will play better, we will pass it better. And if we win our personal battles, we’ll win the game because we’re a better team than them.

What they’ve said is like a red rag to a bull. I’m looking forward to tomorrow, obviously, but if I was a player or the manager, I’d be fuming. I’d want to go out and really show them on Wednesday night.

They’ve given Arne Slot a free team talk. I did it at Tranmere when we played Bolton in the semi-finals of the League Cup. It was massive for us to get to Wembley, little Tranmere Rovers.

We went to Bolton, won 1-0 and played very well I thought. But we got some derogatory comments from their camp. I got the Bolton Evening News. It’s old-school but I got Les Parry to put them around the dressing room.

I didn’t have a team talk. I just said that’s what he said, that’s what he said, that’s what he said. There you go, it’s up to you. In the first 20 minutes, we were 2-0 up. Game over. We battered them.

The players will be talking about what PSG players have said in the dressing room. Virgil’s the one who will relay it to them.

So win your battles, don’t let them bully you, don’t let them get the best of you. There are three or four really crucial combats in this game. We have to win our battles. Especially in midfield.

We can’t be any worse than last week. That’s as bad as I’ve seen and I was gobsmacked we won 1-0. Imagine if we play well!

Last few games, we’ve not been at it but if we play like we did against Man City or Real Madrid, we’ll beat them. They are a good team but we made them look better than they are.

They have some brilliant players. The crowd will do its part, I’m pretty sure about that. And PSG won’t know what’s hit them.

What’s up, Mo?

I have been very critical of Mo in the last two games. If he wants to win the Ballon d’Or, which I’d love him to go, he can’t play like he did last Wednesday. It was just nothing.

He didn’t win one challenge, he was really poor, and on Saturday again. But he wasn’t the only one last Wednesday night. We were pretty horrendous on that day as well.

The alarming thing for me was the pass completion was 73% or something. We’re normally 90% plus. That’s not good enough. That’s got to be 85% to 90% on Wednesday.

But worse than that was the battles. We won 34% of our battles. That tells you we were out-battled and bullied all over the park.

But the one reason Mo Salah is on that teamsheet every single game is because he scores goals, he creates. He might not play well. For me on Saturday, he struggled like hell but he got the two penalties.

His stats are there so you have to play. Gakpo plays more on the left than Diaz because look at his stats. Strikers, you live and breathe and earn your money by scoring goals.

If you want to get your name on the teamsheet, you have to score goals. It’s as simple as that. I know the game has changed and it’s rotated more. But Mo Salah isn’t rotated.

If you have a forward like Haaland, he plays every game. Salah plays every game. Jota is rusty at the moment because he’s been in and out and had a couple of bad injuries at the wrong time.

I’d love to see Nunez go on and score some vital goals for us before the end of the season, but he has to play one million percent, and go through a brick wall. If he doesn’t do that, he gives us nothing.

Elliott future unclear.

I think the problem Harvey has got is where do you play him? For me, he’s not a right winger. He’s got to be involved.

When he plays right wing, he doesn’t get the ball enough. He’s one of those players who you’ve got to give him the ball. He’s a really good footballer. Talented lad, young lad with a lot of experience for his age.

He can actually play in the midfield three that we’ve got, though he might need to work on his defensive responsibilities a little bit. But going forward, his link-up play with Mo and Trent is brilliant.

He gives you something different as an impact player. He’s got to be more than that. I really like him but we don’t know what’s going to go on in pre-season because of the lack of game-time he’s had but he is a massive Liverpool fan. It will be interesting to see.

This week, John Aldridge’s weekly ECHO column was taken from his special appearance on the Blood Red podcast.

Van Dijk said something special about Isaac Kearney

The parents of a young Liverpool fan have thanked the club after they treated him to a day he will never forget.

Isaac Kearney, a six-year-old boy with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, was the recipient of a special gesture from the Reds.

Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome is an extremely rare chromosomal disorder caused by a missing piece of the short arm of chromosome 4.

As part of the celebrations for International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Kearney was treated to a number of special moments by Liverpool.

Firstly, captain Virgil van Dijk and star man Mo Salah surprised the youngster at his school, North Wood.

He was then invited to the AXA Training Centre, where he met the rest of the squad.

It was there that he was informed of the next leg of his mini adventure, with Van Dijk inviting him to be a mascot for the upcoming clash with Man City at Anfield.

Speaking about the experience, Van Dijk shared a touching message about Isaac:
“Isaac has a big heart, a beautiful spirit, and an inspiring determination. Seeing his love for football and his courage is truly special. It reminds us why we play this game – to bring joy, to inspire, and to make memories that last forever. Walking out with him as a mascot will be an honour.”

Kearney and his parents were asked about the experience during an interview on BBC Breakfast on Boxing Day.

Kearney said he had a “good” time, while his mother, Melissa, went into more detail.

“It was unbelievable,” she said. “Basically, children with the syndrome are all so different, they all develop differently. In Isaac’s condition, he has learning disabilities, low muscle tone, and requires a lot of physiotherapy.

“We were told that he may never walk. When we saw him walking on the pitch with Virgil, we were like, wow. A miracle, really. Just unbelievable, honestly.

“We’ve said every day since, it’s not every day you get to see your child’s dreams come true. Even looking back, it just doesn’t seem real.”

Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson was convinced that Liverpool would struggle this season but he has been proven wrong, with Arne Slot’s men closing in on the title.

Liverpool has emphatically proven Paul Merson wrong after the Sky Sports pundit went early with his verdict on Arne Slot’s side this season. After the Reds had lost 1-0 at Anfield to Nottingham Forest in September, he was not convinced.

“I don’t see it,” Merson said on Sky Sports after that game in a clip that has now resurfaced and is doing the rounds on social media. “I don’t see them challenging. I don’t. They’ve got to move it quicker. It was a bit boring. It was slow.

“When you watch Jurgen Klopp’s teams play, they break and it was so quick. It wasn’t quick enough. Teams in this Premier League, they get back so quickly into shape — especially the lesser teams. It seems to me watching this game that it was ‘We don’t lose’ before ‘We win’. That’s not Liverpool.”

Liverpool has since been unbeaten in the Premier League. Winning 3-1 over Southampton this weekend and with Arsenal dropping more points, this time against Manchester United, the gap at the top is now 15 points (though the Gunners have a game in hand).

Slot’s men have shown much more in the final third than Arsenal with Mikel Arteta’s men struggling to find goals in several games thanks to a limited attacking unit and plenty of injuries. Arteta stormed out of an interview after his team drew 1-1 at Old Trafford with the title having looked out of reach for a few weeks.

“I don’t want to say that,” he insisted when asked if the race was over. “Today the frustration is that we haven’t won the game. We know the urgency and we are obligated to win every single match if you want to have any chance of doing that. I don’t think it is the right moment to talk about that.”