Virgil Van Dijk recalls Liverpool’s Champions League exit at the hands of “impressive” PSG | OneFootball

Liverpool skipper Virgil Van Dijk (33) has lifted the lid on the Reds’ unexpected Champions League exit at the hands of PSG in the last-16. Arne Slot’s table-topping Premier League side also topped the Champions League standings, but they fell at the first hurdle in the knockout stages against Luis Enrique’s Les Parisiens. The Netherlands captain said to L’Equipe how he was impressed by PSG’s style of play, their players’ individual quality their efforts. Liverpool were already on the ropes in the first leg played at Parc des Princes.

The Reds were indebted to a supreme goalkeeping performance from Alisson Becker and even took a lead to Anfield thanks to Harvey Elliott’s winner. “It was quite surprising that we won after they had dominated us, but these things happen in football.” In the return leg at Anfield, Ousmane Dembélé wiped out Liverpool’s lead, and PSG eventually prevailed in the penalties after Gianluigi Donnarumma parried away the attempts of Curtis Jones and Darwin Nunez. “We could have scored in the first twenty minutes, which would have changed the face of the game. In the end, it was fairly even. They went through, well done to them.”

Van Dijk added that Luis Enrique’s Ligue 1 champions were in a very good dynamic. “They are led by a brilliant manager whose playing principles they have perfectly adopted.” The Liverpool skipper said he was unlikely to watch next Saturday’s Champions League final between PSG and Inter Milan. “I want to enjoy my holidays!” Although PSG made a strong impression on him, Van Dijk said Inter Milan could win in Munich as they have more recent experience of Champions League finals. Inter lost the 2023 final to Manchester City.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval