‘PSG were the much better team’: Slot hails ‘lucky’ Liverpool

Liverpool boss Arne Slot admitted his team had been extremely fortunate in their 1-0 win away to Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League last 16 first leg on Wednesday as he heaped praise on goal-scoring hero Harvey Elliott.

“If we had a draw over here we would have already been the lucky one. That is clear for everyone,” Slot accepted after his side withstood a pummelling from the hosts in Paris.

PSG dominated the first leg of the heavyweight last-16 tie, but Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker was in inspired form and the visitors snatched an unlikely victory to take back to Anfield for the return as substitute Elliott scored in the 87th minute.

“They were the much better team today, especially in the first half,” Slot said of PSG, who had a Khvicha Kvaratskhelia goal disallowed for a tight offside in the 20th minute and had 28 attempts in total.

“They had three or four open chances in the first half, and it was almost a miracle that it was 0-0 then.

“But we were already in the game three, four or five times, I felt like we could hurt them in transitions, but we didn’t, but we waited until the last moment and then we hurt them.”

Elliott, 21, was sent on for Mohamed Salah late on after the Egyptian had failed to make any impact on proceedings. He then scored with his first touch after being set up by Darwin Nunez.

“It was a big moment for him. I can understand that he is sometimes frustrated about the playing time he gets,” Slot said of Elliott, who has nevertheless now scored in three straight Champions League games.

“He has to do it with limited playing time but he just keeps on going. I have to give him big compliments for that.

“It wasn’t only Harvey but also the one who assisted him, Darwin Nunez, who came from a difficult two games, but was absolutely there again tonight because from the moment he came on we were more of a threat than before.”

– ‘Unfair’ for PSG –

Before Elliott’s remarkable strike, Liverpool looked set to finish a game without scoring for just the fourth time all season after they were pushed back by their opponents all evening.

“We were not under-par, it was purely the quality of Paris Saint-Germain and the way they have played this whole season,” the Liverpool coach added.

“Luis Enrique made an incredible team here. It was an unbelievable challenge for us to get away with a result and we know it will be a hard one in a week.”

Slot’s opposite number admitted the result was a sore one to take as PSG’s run of 10 straight wins in all competitions was brought to a halt.

“We were far superior to Liverpool in terms of how we played, and chances created,” Luis Enrique said.

“Against the best team in their league and in Europe, we put in a complete performance, defended well, took risks, and clearly deserved another result, but that is football.

“It is often unfair and we just have to accept it.”

Asked if he still believed his team could reach the quarter-finals going into next Tuesday’s return leg, he added: “Without any doubt. We are a team with absolutely nothing to lose.

“Today we deserved much more. Their best player was the goalkeeper, which indicates how the game went.”