Liverpool secured a late 1-0 victory against Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, capitalizing on a lone shot on target by Harvey Elliott. Despite dominating possession and creating 28 chances, PSG couldn’t convert, with their goalkeeper Alisson making crucial saves. In the other match, Bayern Munich triumphed 3-0 over Bayer Leverkusen, with Harry Kane scoring twice to lead his team. Leverkusen’s night darkened further with a red card for Nordi Mukiele. Both Liverpool and Bayern are in favorable positions as they prepare for the second leg of their ties.
Liverpool secured a thrilling late victory, defeating Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 away in the first leg of their prestigious Champions League last-16 clash on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich asserted their dominance with a decisive 3-0 victory over their German counterparts, Bayer Leverkusen. PSG, the leaders of the French league, controlled possession at the Parc des Princes, yet failed to capitalize on their advantage. Harvey Elliott netted the game’s only goal just three minutes from the end after stepping in for Mohamed Salah, marking Liverpool’s sole shot on target. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia had a goal disallowed for offside in the first half, but Arne Slot’s side held firm defensively, keeping PSG at bay as they head into next week’s second leg at Anfield with a solid chance to progress to the quarter-finals.
Liverpool’s goalkeeper, Alisson Becker, delivered a series of vital saves as PSG registered 28 attempts on goal but couldn’t find the finishing touch that had seen them score 21 goals in their prior five Champions League matches.
“It was probably the performance of my life,” Alisson told TNT Sports.
“To leave with a win here was probably a bit more than we deserved,” Slot remarked.
If Liverpool manage to complete the task at home next Tuesday, they could meet Aston Villa in the quarter-finals. However, PSG coach Luis Enrique insisted that his team has “nothing to lose.”
“We clearly deserved to win; we created numerous chances,” the Spaniard stated. “Football can be quite unfair, and that’s something you have to accept.”
Harry Kane scored twice as Bayern moved closer to the last eight, achieving their first victory over Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen in seven encounters.
The England captain gave Bayern the lead at the Allianz Arena with a headed goal from Michael Olise’s exquisite cross.
Jamal Musiala doubled the advantage early in the second half when Leverkusen’s goalkeeper, Matej Kovar, mishandled a harmless delivery from Joshua Kimmich.
Bayern faced a setback with Manuel Neuer’s injury, and things worsened for Leverkusen as Nordi Mukiele received a red card.
Kane capped off the scoring by converting a penalty after a VAR check determined he had been fouled by Edmond Tapsoba.
“This is a significant step in the right direction. We have struggled against this team for the past couple of years,” Kane shared with DAZN.
A dejected Alonso acknowledged that it would take an extraordinary comeback for Leverkusen to overturn the deficit.
“In football, we often witness miraculous events, and we are in need of one,” he remarked.
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