Donnarumma’s Shootout Heroics Push PSG Past Liverpool

TDT | Manama
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A Night of Drama at Anfield

Paris St Germain delivered a Champions League masterstroke on March 11, 2025, ousting Liverpool in a breathless last-16 tie at Anfield. The Ligue 1 leaders secured a 1-0 victory in the second leg—courtesy of Ousmane Dembele’s early strike—before goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma emerged as the hero in a 4-1 penalty shootout triumph. With the aggregate score locked at 1-1, Donnarumma’s commanding saves from Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones propelled PSG into the quarter-finals, silencing a raucous Anfield crowd and keeping their European dreams alive.

Donnarumma’s Defining Moment

Gianluigi Donnarumma stood tall—quite literally—when it mattered most. The Italian stopper, already a towering presence throughout the match, turned the tide in the shootout with two critical interventions. First, he denied Nunez with a sprawling dive, then thwarted Jones with a display of composure that belied the pressure cooker of Anfield. PSG’s takers, by contrast, were flawless, converting all four efforts to seal a victory that marks a significant step for a club yet to claim Europe’s premier prize. It was a performance reminiscent of his heroics in Italy’s Euro 2020 triumph, reaffirming his status as one of the game’s elite custodians.

Dembele’s Dagger and Liverpool’s Disarray

The match itself hinged on a moment of opportunism from Ousmane Dembele. In the 12th minute, against the flow of Liverpool’s early dominance, the French forward pounced on a defensive lapse. Ibrahima Konate’s sliding block on Bradley Barcola’s shot inadvertently teed up Dembele, who coolly slotted into an unguarded net past a stranded Alisson. It was the earliest Champions League goal Liverpool had conceded at home since Sevilla’s strike in September 2017, a statistic that underscored PSG’s ability to exploit the slimmest of margins. Despite Liverpool’s relentless pressure thereafter, PSG’s resilience held firm.

Eyes on the Quarters: PSG’s Next Challenge

With Liverpool vanquished, PSG now turn their attention to the quarter-finals, where they will face either Aston Villa or Club Brugge. Villa hold a 3-1 advantage heading into their second leg on March 12, setting the stage for a potential clash of styles against Luis Enrique’s side. For PSG, this victory is a statement of intent, blending flair with fortitude in a competition that has long eluded them. As the echoes of Donnarumma’s shootout heroics linger, the Parisian faithful will dare to dream of a deeper run, with Anfield’s conquered turf as their latest stepping stone.