Elliott scores Liverpool winner in PSG smash and grab

Liverpool completed one of the biggest smash and grabs in Champions League history to come away from their last-16 first leg against Paris St-Germain with a win.

PSG completely dominated the game, with 27 shots, and Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson had to make nine saves.

But the hosts could not find an opener - and the Reds scored with their second shot of the night in the 87th minute.

Harvey Elliott netted with his first touch, after replacing Mohamed Salah, when he was picked out by Darwin Nunez.

Luis Enrique's side were shell shocked - and how they failed to score will go down as a mystery. Well, an Alisson-shaped mystery.

PSG forwards Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in particular were unplayable at times.

Kvaratskhelia had a fine goal in the first half rightly disallowed by the video assistant referee (VAR) for offside.

The VAR again sided with Liverpool, more controversially, when Ibrahima Konate avoided a red card despite shoving Bradley Barcola over just outside the box.

Liverpool will host the second leg next Tuesday.

Reds boss Arne Slot has enjoyed a magnificent first season in English football with Liverpool losing just four games - and only one of those was with their first team in a match of significance.

The Premier League leaders and Carabao Cup finalists are usually the team punishing the opposition but for the first time they were blown away - in every aspect bar the scoreline.

Brazil goalkeeper Alisson was the reason they came away from the French capital still in the tie.

He pulled off sensational saves to deny a host of PSG players including Dembele (twice), Kvaratskhelia (four times) and substitute Desire Doue (twice).

The visitors had managed precisely one shot before the goal, Luis Diaz's off-target effort in the 44th minute.

But Elliott stunned the hosts 46 seconds after coming off the bench to replace top scorer Salah, who had a rare quiet night.

Alisson played a long ball up to Nunez, who controlled the ball and picked out Elliott in space. Gianluigi Donnarumma got a touch to his first-time strike but could not stop it settling in the bottom corner.

That goal now makes Liverpool favourites to set up a quarter-final tie with Aston Villa or Club Brugge.

Since their big-money Qatari takeover in 2011, PSG have flattered to deceive in the Champions League.

Just as it looks as if they are getting things together, it all goes wrong.

This one felt like it was going to be different.

The runaway Ligue 1 leaders had won their past 10 games and were unbeaten in 22 matches.

Previous collapses had come from trying to fit star names and big egos into a team - including all of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi.

But this was a different PSG, more of a team with fewer true household names.

Dembele had scored 20 goals in his previous 14 matches. Some of his dribbles had the Reds defenders on toast, especially in the first half. Kvaratskhelia, a January signing from Napoli, was sublime when running with the ball too.

The hosts felt as if they were winning everything on Wednesday, quicker to every ball, and ending up with 70% possession.

Luis Enrique's team will point to the red card Parisian Konate could have been shown in the first half too.

But they were ultimately made to pay for not taking their chances - and now face a huge uphill task at Anfield in six days' time.

Source: BBC Sport