Arne Slot acknowledges that Liverpool had a ‘stroke of luck’ in their Champions League triumph over PSG.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot acknowledged that his side was incredibly fortunate to secure a 1-0 victory against Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash on Wednesday, praising the heroics of goal-scorer Harvey Elliott.

“If we had ended with a draw, we would have been the lucky ones. That’s evident to everyone,” Slot conceded after his team endured relentless pressure from the Parisian side.

PSG was the dominant force in this heavyweight encounter, yet Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker made a string of incredible saves, allowing the visitors to pull off an unexpected win, with substitute Elliott scoring in the 87th minute, setting up a return leg at Anfield.

“They were the superior team today, particularly in the first half,” Slot remarked about PSG, who had a goal from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia disallowed for a narrow offside call in the 20th minute and produced a total of 28 shots.

“They had three or four clear-cut chances in the first half, and it was almost miraculous that we were still at 0-0 at that point.

“However, we did look dangerous on the transition a few times. Although we couldn’t capitalise on it, we managed to strike at the last moment and punish them,” he added.

Elliott, who is 21 years old, was brought on for Mohamed Salah late in the match after the Egyptian had struggled to make an impact. He scored with his very first touch, courtesy of an assist from Darwin Nunez.

“It was a significant moment for him. I understand he’s at times frustrated about his playing time,” Slot noted regarding Elliott, who has now netted in three consecutive Champions League matches.

“He manages to deliver despite limited opportunities on the pitch, and I must commend him for that,” he continued.

“It’s not just Harvey; Darwin Nunez also deserves credit. He came back strong tonight after a couple of tough games, and his arrival made us a greater threat than before,” Slot added.

‘Unjust’ for PSG

Prior to Elliott’s stunning strike, Liverpool appeared to be on track to finish without a goal for only the fourth time this season, as they were continually pressured by their opposition.

“We were not lacking; it was solely the quality of Paris Saint-Germain and their performances throughout this season,” the Liverpool manager stated further.

“Luis Enrique has assembled an outstanding team here. It was a monumental challenge for us to walk away with a result, and we understand it will be a tough task next week.“

Enrique, his counterpart, expressed frustration over the result, which halted PSG’s streak of 10 consecutive victories across all competitions.

“We were far superior to Liverpool in terms of performance and chances created,” Enrique stated.

“Against one of the top teams in their league and across Europe, we delivered a complete performance: we defended well, took risks, and clearly deserved a different outcome. But that’s football,” he lamented.

“It can be cruel, and we must accept that,” he added.

When asked if he still believed PSG could progress to the quarter-finals in the return leg next Tuesday, Enrique responded: “Absolutely. We are a team with nothing to lose.

“Today, we deserved much more. The fact that their best player was the goalkeeper speaks volumes about how the match unfolded.