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Elliott Gives Liverpool Slender Win Over PSG In Champions League

Published

4 months ago

March 6, 2025

Harvey Elliott scored with his first touch after coming on as a late substitute to give Liverpool an unlikely 1-0 win away to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their heavyweight Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday.

Elliott had just replaced Mohamed Salah when he fired in from a Darwin Nunez assist in the 87th minute at the Parc des Princes to hand the Premier League leaders the advantage ahead of next week’s return.

It was the ultimate smash and grab act from Arne Slot’s side, who up to that point had survived a pummelling from in-form PSG.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia had a first-half strike disallowed for a marginal offside and Alisson Becker made several crucial saves as the French league leaders had 28 attempts on goal to their visitors’ two.

Salah had been almost completely anonymous as Liverpool looked set to fail to score in a game for just the fourth time all season, but now they will be confident of pressing home their advantage at Anfield.

If they emerge victorious, a quarter-final against Aston Villa or Club Brugge awaits, although PSG showed enough to suggest they will again be extremely dangerous in England.

Luis Enrique’s team came into this game on a run of 10 straight victories and had scored 21 goals in their last five Champions League outings, including a 4-2 defeat of Manchester City in January.

This performance, however, was more like those at the start of their Champions League campaign, when they struggled to turn chances into goals in defeats against the likes of Arsenal, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich.

January signing Kvaratskhelia had been selected instead of exciting teenage prospect Desire Doue, and the Georgian completed a fluid front three alongside Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele.

Liverpool, meanwhile, were without Cody Gakpo, so Diogo Jota came in for his first appearance in the Champions League since October 2.

The hotly anticipated clash between the runaway leaders of the English and French leagues had the potential to be Liverpool’s toughest test this season, and that is how the game panned out for long spells.

PSG are no longer a team dominated by a couple of superstar forwards, but rather a voracious collective of dynamic, hard-working young players under the guidance of their intense Spanish coach.

– Alisson stars –
They pinned Liverpool back from the off and enjoyed 65 percent possession over the course of the game.

Kvaratskhelia thought he had opened the scoring on 20 minutes when he collected a Vitinha pass inside the area and curled a shot beyond Alisson into the far corner.

The home players and fans celebrated, but the goal was eventually disallowed for a tight offside decision.

Liverpool were off the hook, as was the case when Joao Neves fired over from a low Dembele centre a little earlier, and when Alisson saved from Dembele on the half-hour and the ball came to Barcola whose shot was too high.

The home side might have feared Salah, but the Egyptian could not get into the game as PSG attacked in droves.

There was a VAR check for a possible red card when Barcola was knocked over by Ibrahima Konate on the edge of the area as he chased onto a long ball, but the Italian officials let the Liverpool defender off.

Paris continued to launch a barrage of attacks after the break, their counter-pressing game making it difficult for Liverpool to escape their half.

Kvaratskhelia tested Alisson from a free-kick and Achraf Hakimi sent a shot narrowly over, before Doue was denied by a brilliant save from Liverpool’s Brazilian goalkeeper.

Doue, on as a substitute, cut in from the left 10 minutes from the end and sent a shot curling towards the far top corner, but Alisson flew to his left and stretched to tip the ball behind.

It was not going to be PSG’s night, and when Alisson sent a long kick downfield three minutes from time, Nunez won the ball in the air before teeing up Elliott to shoot beyond Gianluigi Donnarumma into the far corner.

AFP

Related Topics:#Liverpool Champions League Elliott PSG

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Sports

Chelsea Sign Brazilian Joao Pedro From Brighton

Published

14 hours ago

July 2, 2025

Editor

Chelsea signed Brazil striker Joao Pedro from Brighton in a deal worth a reported £60 million ($79 million) on Wednesday.

Pedro jetted to the United States, where Chelsea are playing in the Club World Cup, on Sunday after the terms of his eight-year contract were agreed.

With the transfer now confirmed following a medical, Pedro is available to play for Enzo Maresca’s side in their Club World Cup quarter-final against Palmeiras in Philadelphia.

FIFA has given clubs involved in the Club World Cup knockout phase until July 3 to register new players for the tournament.

“Everyone knows this is a big club with a great history,” Pedro said.

“They had brilliant players in the past and have brilliant players now, so I am excited to join and you know when you are a Chelsea player you must think one thing – win.”

Pedro, who joined Brighton for £30 million from Watford two years ago, scored 30 goals in 70 appearances for the Seagulls and has been capped three times by Brazil.

The 23-year-old missed Brighton’s final two matches of the season after being dropped due to a training ground altercation with team-mate Jan Paul van Hecke.

Pedro is the fourth player Chelsea have signed from Brighton in recent years after Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella and Robert Sanchez.

Chelsea, who qualified for next season’s Champions League, have already splashed out on striker Liam Delap, midfielder Dario Essugo and defender Mamadou Sarr since the end of last term.

Brazilian rising star Estevao Willian, 18, will join the Blues after his Club World Cup campaign with Palmeiras.

Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens could also be a Chelsea player soon after a deal worth up to a reported 65 million euros ($76 million) was agreed for the 20-year-old on Saturday.

AFP

Sports

Chelsea Agree Deal To Sign Brighton Forward Joao Pedro

Published

3 days ago

June 29, 2025

Editor

Chelsea’s forward options could be bolstered by the time they face Palmeiras in the Club World Cup quarter-finals on Friday after reportedly agreeing a deal with Brighton for Joao Pedro.

The Athletic reported the Brazilian international is on his way to the United States for a medical before joining up with the Chelsea squad after terms were struck for a transfer in excess of £50 million ($69 million).

Pedro, who joined Brighton for a then club record £30 million from Watford two years ago, scored 30 goals in 70 appearances for the Seagulls.

However, the 23-year-old missed Brighton’s final two matches of the season after being dropped due to a training ground altercation with team-mate Jan Paul van Hecke.

FIFA has given clubs involved in the Club World Cup knockout phase until July 3 to register new players for the tournament.

Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens could also be a Chelsea player by then after a deal worth up to a reported 65 million euros ($76 million) for the 20-year-old was agreed on Saturday.

Chelsea have already signed striker Liam Delap, midfielder Dario Essugo and defender Mamadou Sarr this summer.

Brazilian rising star Estevao Willian, 18, will also join the Premier League giants after his Club World Cup campaign with Palmeiras.

Sports

Club World Cup: PSG Crush Inter Miami 4-0 To Reach Quarter-final

Published

3 days ago

June 29, 2025

Editor

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) steamrollered Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami 4-0 to reach the Club World Cup quarter-finals on Sunday.

Miami hoped the Argentine superstar’s magic could help them produce an unlikely result against his former side, but the Major League Soccer side were dismantled in Atlanta by Luis Enrique’s rampant European champions.

Ageing great Messi and his former Barcelona team-mates Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba had done well to reach the last 16 but the gulf in quality between the teams was laid bare over the 90 minutes.

Joao Neves netted twice for PSG, who benefitted from a Tomas Aviles own goal, while Achraf Hakimi was also on target.

After Neves opened the scoring early on Miami resisted until PSG hit three goals in 10 minutes towards the end of the first half.

Messi was the main draw, as fans chanted his name and most of the 66,000 crowd were clad in Miami’s hot pink interspersed with Argentina shirts.

PSG dominated from the start, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia floating into the box and teeing up Bradley Barcola, but Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari thwarted him with an outstretched leg.

However shortly afterwards over-run Miami right-back Marcelo Weigandt fouled Desire Doue and it led to PSG’s opener.

Vitinha whipped a free-kick to the back post where Portuguese midfielder Neves ran in completely unmarked, stooping to nod past Ustari after six minutes.

PSG’s Fabian Ruiz had a goal disallowed for offside before Miami defender Noah Allen limped off injured in a further blow for Javier Mascherano’s side.

With the Ligue 1 champions pressing high and keeping possession Miami found it hard to get Messi involved.

The 38-year-old Argentine superstar played a superbly weighted pass down the right flank for Tadeo Allende but a rare Miami break came to nothing.

Messi’s intermittent interventions were not enough to hold back the Parisian tide.

PSG doubled their lead in the 39th minute when veteran holding midfielder Busquets got his footwork wrong in front of his own box.

Spanish compatriot Ruiz rapidly relieved him of the ball and combined with Barcola to set up Neves to tap home his second.

PSG grabbed their third when Aviles deflected Doue’s cross into his own net, and Hakimi netted the fourth before half-time to put PSG out of sight.

The Morocco international’s first effort was deflected onto the crossbar but he stayed alert at the air-conditioned Mercedes-Benz Stadium to fire home the rebound.

Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi lost his cool with a swipe aimed at Vitinha as the Argentine raged against the midfielder, Miami’s impotence and PSG’s swagger.

– Determined Messi –

Messi produced a brilliant pass for Suarez early in the second half, chipping a ball over the PSG defence, but the Uruguayan could not finish to offer Miami a lifeline.

Despite the impossibility of a comeback — there was to be no comeback like the one Luis Enrique’s Barcelona managed in 2017 against PSG from four goals down in which Messi and Suarez scored — the Argentine was determined to bow out with a bang.

Messi drew a first save from PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma after the hour mark with a low effort.

Luis Enrique sent on winger Ousmane Dembele for his first appearance at the tournament after a hamstring injury, but the Frenchman was rusty and imprecise.

When Suarez was fouled by Lucas Beraldo on the edge of the box Messi had the chance to repeat his free-kick winner against Porto in the group stage, but his effort hit the wall.

It was not to be for Messi or Miami, but their second-half performance was respectable and the defeat was by a lesser margin than the French side’s 5-0 Champions League final thrashing of Inter Milan.

PSG will face Bayern Munich or Flamengo in the quarter-finals in Atlanta on Saturday.