Slot on Liverpool's UCL exit: 'Best game of football I've been involved in'

Liverpool boss Arne Slot described his side's Champions League exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain as "the best game of football" he's ever been involved in.

In what was a thrilling contest, the Premier League leaders were beaten 4-1 on penalties after their last-16 tie ended 1-1 on aggregate following a 1-0 loss in the second leg at Anfield on Tuesday.

Liverpool were comprehensively outplayed in the first leg in Paris but escaped with victory courtesy of a late Harvey Elliott goal.

PSG turned the tables at Anfield after scoring early through Ousmane Dembele and Reds manager Slot conceded his side may have used up their luck in the first leg.

"It was the best game of football I was ever involved in. Incredible performance, especially compared to last week. In the first 20 to 25 minutes, we were all over them, created chance after chance and all of a sudden we were 1-0 down. Probably it was almost the opposite, maybe we ran out of luck because the margins were so small tonight.

"After 90 minutes it felt we deserved more than being 1-0 down. I was waiting for us to score. I don't think the second half, apart from the last five minutes, when they threatened us once or twice. We played the perfect game, except for scoring goals, it was the same for PSG last week when they played the perfect game and didn't score, and it happened to us today.

"It's always difficult if you put so much effort in, for the first 25 minutes I've never seen them so aggressive and so intense as they were today, and then you look at the scoreboard and you're 1-0 down, an unlucky goal as well. When you put in so much effort that's sometimes difficult and in the end it comes down to penalties and we, as Dutch, know how to lose [on penalties].

"It had everything you'd like to see from a football game. From a Liverpool perspective, you'd at least like to have a draw after 90 minutes but it came down to penalties.

"It feels unfair to go out at this round already. You're at the top of the table then you face a team like PSG, but that's also the nice part about football. Everybody around the world enjoyed watching this game and the margins are small, and if you want to win it you have to have some luck, we had it last week, I don't think we had it today.

"Now it's clear what we have to do for the rest of the season - one league cup final and nine Premier League games to go."

Van Dijk looks ahead to Wembley final: 'We need to be ready for next challenge'

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has urged his team-mates to brush off their Champions League exit as he looked forward to Sunday's Carabao Cup final, live on Sky Sports (kick-off 4.30pm).

Slot's side will be hoping to bounce back at Wembley and win the first silverware of the season as they take on Newcastle.

Van Dijk said: "It was very intense, a great game of football to be part of.

"Obviously it was a totally different Liverpool from what we showed in Paris but, unfortunately, went out on penalties and that's the reality.

"I said to the guys, you can be disappointed because we are out of the competition, chin up and get ready for the next challenge. It's a beautiful one on the weekend, so we go again.

He added: "I think we were pretty good today as well, and you want to go as far as possible, but we knew when we drew PSG it was going to be very difficult. We saw in Paris when we struggled but we won, and today we saw a very good Liverpool side but we're out of the competition.

"From the first second and then extra time, when fatigue kicks in for both sides, it becomes more open but especially during regular time, we showed a very good game. We can speak about the game for ages but we're out of the competition, that is the reality."

Carra: The best team won

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher was full of praise for PSG after their victory at Anfield and he thinks the best team won the tie, in the end.

"The best team won," the Sky Sports pundit told CBS.

"We saw how PSG performed in the first leg - I called it a robbery.

"In the first 20 minutes, half-an-hour, I thought Liverpool were going on to win this game comfortably but they just couldn't get that goal early on, and then PSG get it.

"For the rest of the game it felt like nip and tuck but in extra-time, PSG took over and we (Liverpool) were hanging on for penalties.

"Then, it's a lottery but PSG deserved to go through. Liverpool ran out of steam. It was a top-level game and you have to admire the brilliance of the opposition."

Liverpool's European dream over

Sky Sports' Adam Bate at Anfield:

"There was applause from the Liverpool supporters at the end, they were eager to stand by their team after their heroics this season, but PSG deserved that over the two legs.

"Arne Slot's side could count themselves unfortunate in the sense that Mohamed Salah missed two presentable opportunities before Ousmane Dembele's goal and Dominik Szoboszlai had a goal disallowed for offside.

"But while Liverpool were much more impressive in this game than a week ago, it was not enough.

"Salah was below par and for once Slot's substitutions did not pay off."

"His job is to pick up these players for the Carabao Cup final on Sunday, Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones included, while Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konate went off injured.

"The Premier League title awaits but Liverpool's European dream is over for this season."