Liverpool boss Arne Slot described Tuesday’s Champions League shootout loss on penalties to Paris St-Germain as “the best game of football I’ve been involved in”, despite his side exiting the competition as a result.
After losing last week’s first leg 1-0 in Paris, the visitors levelled the tie at Anfield on aggregate thanks to Ousmane Dembele’s 12th-minute strike.
Liverpool had plenty of chances to score themselves, but the game went to extra time and was decided on spot-kicks, where PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma saved from Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones, before Desire Doue fired home to seal a 4-1 success.
“It was the best game of football I have ever been involved in,” Slot said on Amazon Prime.
“It was an incredible performance, especially if you compare it with last week. Maybe we ran out of luck because the margins were so small.
“We played the perfect game, except for scoring a goal. It was similar to Paris last week, when they played the perfect game and didn’t score. And then in extra time, they were maybe a little bit better.”
Defeat leaves Liverpool with a domestic double to play for.
With a 15-point lead at the top, the Reds are all but certain of winning the Premier League, while they face Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley on Sunday.
“We were pretty good and you want to go as far as possible, but we knew when we drew Paris that it was going to be very difficult,” admitted Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk.
“In Paris, we struggled but we won. Today we saw a very good Liverpool side, but we’re out of the competition.”
Scotland left-back Andy Robertson said the focus will turn to Newcastle now as he added: “It wasn’t meant to be and we need to dust ourselves down. We always bounce back, there’s a lot of tired legs in there. Cup finals, we enjoy them, and that’s the biggest game.”
PSG boss Luis Enrique felt Liverpool were unlucky as he said: “Both of the teams deserve to go to the next phase.
“They played better than us here, but I think my team at Anfield, in a special stadium showed great personality and character.
“I think it shows clearly the team we are.”
Alexander-Arnold doubtful for final
Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold is a doubt for Sunday’s final against Newcastle at Wembley.
The England defender was substituted in the second half against PSG after appearing to jar a knee in a challenge with Vitinha.
“He had to come off – that’s never a good sign,” said Slot.
“From what I heard from people that saw the images of how he got injured, it didn’t look very good.
“I would be surprised if he is [available] for Sunday.”
Alexander-Arnold missed last year’s EFL Cup final win over Chelsea.
England manager Thomas Tuchel will name his first squad on Friday for World Cup qualifiers against Latvia and Albania this month.
Alexander-Arnold, who has 33 caps, was expected to be included.-BBC
