UCL: Liverpool Stuns PSG with Late Winner; Bayern Munich Dominates Leverkusen
Liverpool pulled off a remarkable late victory, defeating Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich cruised to a commanding 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in their own knockout match.
Despite dominating possession and creating numerous chances, PSG was left frustrated as Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott scored the decisive goal three minutes from time. Elliott, who came on as a substitute for Mohamed Salah, found the back of the net with Liverpool’s only shot on target, capitalizing on a rare opportunity in a match where PSG had 28 attempts at goal.
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker delivered a standout performance, making several crucial saves to keep his team in the game. “It was probably the performance of my life,” Alisson stated after the match. He added, “To go away with a win over here was probably a bit more than we deserved.”
Liverpool manager Arne Slot expressed satisfaction with the result, acknowledging the team’s resilience. “If we finish the job at home next Tuesday, we could face Aston Villa in the quarterfinals,” he noted. In contrast, PSG coach Luis Enrique lamented his team’s missed opportunities, stating, “We deserved to win clearly; football is unfair many times, and you have to accept that.”
In the other notable fixture, Harry Kane was instrumental for Bayern Munich, scoring twice against Leverkusen. The England captain opened the scoring with a header from Michael Olise’s cross, and Jamal Musiala added a second early in the second half after a mistake from Leverkusen’s goalkeeper Matej Kovar. Kane capped off the performance with a penalty following a VAR review.
“It was a really big step in the right direction. We’ve struggled against this side over the last couple of years,” Kane said after the match. Leverkusen’s night worsened as they lost Nordi Mukiele to a red card, leaving them in a precarious position going into the second leg.
In other matches, Barcelona managed to edge past Benfica 1-0 in Lisbon, with Raphinha scoring the only goal despite playing most of the match with 10 men after Pau Cubarsi was red-carded. Coach Hansi Flick praised his team’s determination under pressure, saying, “After the 22nd minute with 10 players, it was not easy, and this is a big win.”
Inter Milan also took control of their tie against Feyenoord, winning 2-0 in Rotterdam thanks to goals from Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martinez. Coach Simone Inzaghi expressed his satisfaction, stating, “We had to suffer a bit tonight, but we didn’t have to for long.”
Liverpool and Bayern Munich have positioned themselves strongly for the return legs, while PSG and Leverkusen will need to regroup and find a way to overturn their deficits.
