Liverpool crash out of Champions League: Does PSG win expose a flaw within the new format?

On high of Europe in January. Out of the Champions League by early March. Liverpool’s reward for dominating the competitors’s new-look league format was to run right into a roadblock within the form of Paris Saint-Germain within the spherical of 16.

Liverpool coach Arne Slot described his crew as “so, so, so unfortunate” to come back up in opposition to “probably the greatest groups in Europe”
after shedding 4-1 in a penalty shootout at Anfield on Tuesday.

“That’s the format we’re in and now we have to just accept it,” he stated.

Liverpool exit raises questions over UCL format

The round-of-16 contest completed 1-1 on mixture after Ousmane Dembele’s first-half aim Tuesday cancelled out Liverpool’s 1-0 win in Paris within the first leg.

It is among the quirks of the revamped Champions League that regardless of topping the league part with wins in opposition to European giants Actual Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan, Liverpool then needed to face a resurgent PSG squad that needed to depend on the lifeline of the playoffs to advance to this stage.

“We exit in a approach that I believe we’ve impressed Europe. However it’s one thing now to consider how a lot price it’s to finish up first within the league desk should you can face Paris Saint-Germain within the subsequent spherical,” Slot stated. “However in the long run, if you wish to win the match, it’s important to beat groups like Paris Saint-Germain and that’s what we didn’t do right now.”

The PSG efficiency that triumphed at Anfield regarded markedly completely different to the one which struggled within the early levels of the competitors – when the crew misplaced to Arsenal, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich, as properly dropping factors in opposition to PSV Eindhoven.

The French champion confirmed it was a menace by beating Manchester Metropolis 4-2 in January and had dominated Liverpool in Paris earlier than falling to a late sucker punch from Harvey Elliott.

It needed to trip a storm at instances within the second leg — together with surviving a Jarrell Quansah header that hit the put up — however Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson additionally needed to pull off a string of saves to maintain the house crew in competition.

“It was the very best recreation of soccer I used to be ever concerned in,” Slot stated.

PSG coach Luis Enrique later stated each groups have been in place to advance earlier than Gianluigi Donnarumma saved penalties from Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones within the shootout.

“At the moment we confirmed the kind of crew we’re. We’ve got big character