Virgil Van Dijk Drops One-Word Description on What Liverpool Needed to Do Against PSG | OneFootball

Liverpool edged past Paris Saint-Germain with a 1-0 win Wednesday at Parc des Princes in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 matchup. Moreover, Virgil van Dijk summed up the challenge of facing the French giants in just one word.

PSG had plenty of chances but couldn’t make them count. The home side dominated much of the first half, outshooting Liverpool 12-1, yet struggled to break through.

They thought they had the lead when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia curled a shot into the top-left corner, but VAR ruled him offside by the narrowest of margins.

Meanwhile, Alisson Becker played a crucial role in keeping PSG off the scoresheet, making four saves in the first half and five more after the break. Despite PSG’s relentless pressure, it was Liverpool who delivered the decisive moment.

In the 87th minute, Alisson launched a long ball to Darwin Nunez, who won a duel and set up substitute Harvey Elliott. The young midfielder kept his composure and slotted his shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma, giving Liverpool the edge heading into the second leg.

Virgil van Dijk offers an honest take on facing PSG

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In his column for Saturday’s matchday program ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League clash with Southampton, the captain acknowledged that they would have to “suffer” against Luis Enrique’s squad.

“It is never easy to play away from home in the Champions League, especially against a side with as much quality and intensity as PSG has,” van Dijk noted (h/t Liverpoolfc.com).

“We knew even before a ball was kicked that there would be times in the game where we would have to suffer and that we would have to show character, resilience, and togetherness.

“We showed all of those things, and of course, it helps when you have, in my opinion, the best goalkeeper in the world in your team. Alisson Becker has saved us many times in the past and his performance in Paris was another special one to add to his collection, for sure.”