PSG stuns Liverpool with Donnarumma’s heroics ending Reds' dream run | OneFootball

It truly was a display of goalkeeping prowess across the two legs of this fixture. Last week, it was the Alisson Becker show after withstanding the barrage of attacks and shots on target courtesy of the PSG striking force. This week, it was Gianluigi Donnarumma's efforts throughout the match, deflecting some crucial chances for Liverpool's players and eventually stepping up during the penalty shootout, keeping out two of the shots taken by Darwin Núñez and Curtis Jones.

A Close Affair

Both managers fielded the same starting elevens that faced each other at the Parc des Princes last week. Right off the bat, Liverpool’s main man Mohamed Salah was more involved; he looked more positive and fluid on the ball. Overall, it seemed like "The Reds" had a "Welcome to Anfield" attitude towards their visitors, and they showed it by pressing high and hard, trying to hold on to the ball and generate dangerous situations. Nuno Mendes, however, put on another hardworking display against the Egyptian superstar and kept him at bay for the majority of the match. Again though, both sides were virtually inseparable not only in terms of the scoreboard but in every other regard. It was a scrappy, hard-fought game that was dragged into extra time and eventually into penalty kicks.

PSG Returns the Favor

Last week, as the visiting side, Liverpool scored a late winner in Paris courtesy of Harvey Elliott. On this occasion, it was Ousmane Dembélé who drove a dagger through Liverpool’s heart by equalizing the score on aggregate in the twelfth minute. Alisson was still massive for "The Reds" for the majority of the game, and in the second half, the home side started to take more control and create more chances. Arne Slot tried to capitalize on this stretch of form by bringing in Darwin Núñez, which ultimately proved to be a costly decision. At times, it seemed like Liverpool could go all the way and secure a win at home, but PSG stood their ground and remained threatening on the counter.

Down to The Spot

The first penalty shootout in the Champions League this year was a nail-biting affair. It seemed as if PSG were off to a bad start when Alisson got a hand on Vitinha's first penalty; turns out it wasn’t enough, and the Portuguese player eventually scored. Mohamed Salah took a confident and unsaveable penalty, but things took a turn for the worse for the home side when both Darwin Núñez and Curtis Jones had their penalties saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma. Youngster Désiré Doué finally sealed the deal by scoring the final penalty of the night and sending PSG to the quarter-finals.

It ends in heartbreak for Liverpool as talks of winning the treble in Arne Slot’s first season in charge have now vanished. It’s not all bad news at Anfield, though, as "The Reds" are still top of the Premier League and the absolute favorites to win it, with the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle United coming up on March 16th. PSG, on the other hand, still await their opponents and must prepare themselves to meet the challenge of yet another European giant.