Nunez and Jones fail from spot as Liverpool crash out to PSG - 6 talking points

Liverpool suffered a heartbreaking Champions League exit as Paris Saint-Germain won on the night before earning their place in the quarter-finals via a penalty shootout.

Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones were left devastated after missing consecutive spotkicks as Gianluigi Donnarumma proved decisive in the tie.

While Liverpool started the game on the frontfoot, PSG were able to punish them on the counter. Ousmane Dembele's interchange with Bradley Barcola saw the former Barcelona winger score his 29th goal of the season to return the French side to level terms.

Dominik Szoboszlai was denied a goal early in the second period, after Diogo Jota was judged to have been offside much earlier in the build up of play. Having been quietened by their opponent's opening goal, the Reds were feeling their way back into the game.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was forced off the field by injury but Liverpool's forward ambitions were not diminished. They could not find a way through and extra-time was required. Donnarumma and Alisson Becker stood tall during the additional 30 minutes ensuring penalties were needed to decide the tie.

PSG were perfect from the spot to leave Anfield stunned as Donnarumma saved from Darwin and Jones. Desire Doue bagged the winning strike to send his side through. Mirror Football takes a look at the talking points to arise from the clash.

We go again?

What is they say about doing the same thing and expecting different results? Well, both sides started the same XIs as they did under a week ago in Paris. Though, Arne Slot was curious whether PSG could repeat the standard of performance.

"To play the same kind of football for PSG as they did last week - I am curious to see if they can do that," he said ahead of the game. "It wasn't a surprise how they [ Liverpool players] acted last week. For the last two-to-three months, they have played man-to-man and it makes it hard coming into the rhythm with the ball.

"We have to be more aggressive than we were last week without the ball. The many moments we can hurt them with the counter-attack we have to play that better than we did last week."

It did not take long to see the pattern of the game was going to be different with the Reds much more on the front foot. Undoubtedly, Anfield offered plenty of encouragement.

And of course, Ousmane Dembele quickly scored against the run of play. Both sides are apparently plenty flexible in what they can offer and it was a tie between two elite sides which in some ways mirrored the first leg rather than producing a carbon copy.

A penalty shootout was the only way to separate them.

Ousmane Dembele reborn

For many, Ousmane Dembele's tale was set to be of what might have been such were the injuries he suffered while at Barcelona. At 27, with PSG, the Frenchman appears to be realising every bit of potential he was touted to have.

Mohamed Salah has been the dangerman on British shores, but Dembele wasted little time proving that his lethality extended beyond the borders of France. The attacker fed Bradley Barcola with a good ball in behind before continuing his run to receive the return and to bundle the ball into the net.

It was Dembele's 29th goal this term, and more than half of those have come in 2025. The ex-Borussia Dortmund starlet has scored more goals than any other player across the top five leagues since the turn of the year and is restoring and enhancing his reputation at every opportunity.

Salah's legacy

Liverpool's talisman made his 73rd Champions League appearance for Liverpool on Tuesday evening, moving level with club legend Steven Gerrard. Only Jamie Carragher has made more, having made 80 appearances in the competition for the Reds.

If anyone was in doubt of the Egyptian's standing at Anfield, that statistic is fairly illustrative. Progress would offer Salah a possibility of breaking that record in just a matter of weeks, an exit would mean that it may never happen, given his uncertain contract situation.

Nevertheless, each passing week sends a reminder that Salah has established himself as a Liverpool great. He will unlikely be forgotten any time soon. Any further achievement this season will only see him further enhance his standing among Anfield legends.

Frustrating officiation

An offisde flag will rarely prove as frustrating for the Reds as when Dominik Szoboszlai's goal was ruled out. While playing on to avoid any tight errors has it's merit, there's rarely anything more annoying than a goal being denied from a moment that appeared to take place a significant period beforehand.

Diogo Jota was offside as the move first signalled danger to PSG and after a plethora of play around the box Szoboszlai had the ball in the net. But jubilation quickly dissipated, when the linesman put his flag up having been unable to do so when Jota first entered the area.

It probably is a better method, but such moments leave you always wondering if it actually is.

More unfair may have been the five first half fouls were all judged to have been committed by Liverpool players. Istvan Kovas drew the ire of the Anfield crowd at the break, as supporters ensured he knew exactly what they thought of his decision-making.

The moment he turned down a foul when Mo Salah fell to the ground in the 66th minute, for a simple free kick and yellow card decision won't have helped either.

Donnarumma fights back

While Alisson Becker made his application to be the best goalkeeper in the world a week, Gianluigi Donnarumma sent a few reminders on Tuesday night. The Italian's save appeared to be beyond full stretch when he denied Luis Diaz and he was not afraid to clear the ball from his area at the earliest notice, or to pause to take the sting out of the game.

He perhaps did not deliver the imperious outing that Alisson produce in Paris, but he proved vital in moments under pressure, particularly surrounded by Liverpool bodies at set-pieces. And of course, those penalties. The Italian is an imposing figure from 12 yards out and proved to be domineering once again.

Newcastle win

With Trent Alexander-Arnold picking up a knock, and Liverpool's first choice XI picking up plenty of minutes, Newcastle be the lone figures to take some pleasure out of the Reds' extended outing. Dominik Szoboszlai slumping over chairs on the substitutes bench painted the picture of tiredness Arne Slot's team will be suffering.

There are plenty of days to recover, but it will be an edge Eddie Howe will happily take if it can disrupt some of his opposition's preparation.