Paris Saint-Germain secured their place in the Champions League quarter-finals after a dramatic 4-1 penalty shoot-out victory over Liverpool at Anfield. The French champions overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit thanks to Ousmane Dembélé’s early strike, setting up an epic contest that remained deadlocked through extra time.
Dembélé capitalized on a defensive mix-up between Alisson and Ibrahima Konaté, pouncing on the loose ball to fire PSG level on aggregate. Both sides had numerous opportunities to take control of the tie, with Liverpool coming agonizingly close as Dominik Szoboszlai saw a goal ruled out for offside, and Jarell Quansah’s header rattled the post late in normal time.
With neither team able to break the deadlock, the tie went to penalties. PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma emerged as the hero, producing brilliant saves to deny Darwin Núñez and Curtis Jones. Meanwhile, Vitinha, Sergio Ramos, and Dembélé converted their spot-kicks for PSG, before 18-year-old Desire Doue stepped up to slot home the decisive penalty and send the Parisians through.
Liverpool’s hopes of European glory were crushed as PSG advanced to the quarter-finals, where they will face either Aston Villa or Club Brugge next month. For the French side, still chasing their first-ever Champions League title, this victory marks another step towards their long-awaited triumph on the biggest stage.
