After losing the first leg 0-1, Paris Saint-Germain faced Liverpool in the second leg of their Champions League Round of 8 tie on Tuesday (0-1, 1-4 on penalties). Speaking to PSG TV, Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi expressed his delight at the result.
Nasser Al-Khelaïfi “I told them they could create history tonight”
“It’s a magnificent evening for us, for the club, for history. I spoke to the players, I told them they could create history tonight. It wasn’t easy at all, and we’d like to express all our respect to Liverpool, who are a great team, one of the best, if not the best, in the world today. Our players, the coach, the staff, Luis Campos…”
Nasser Al-Khelaïfi “There were 3,000 of them, but it’s as if there were 50,000 of us”
“Honestly, everyone dreamed of it. It’s a magnificent job. We’re going to celebrate tonight, but there’s still a long way to go. We’re taking it game by game, but today the players showed that we have great character. I’m also thinking of our supporters. Throughout the match, I had the impression that we were playing at the Parc.
There were 3,000 of them, but it’s as if there were 50,000 of us. I’m really proud of our supporters. Thanks to them, it’s a victory for them too, because their support is very important for the players and for the club. It was a tough game to play here at Anfield. But it was a perfect evening.”
PSG made history tonight. Of course, it’s only the last 16, but to qualify away from home after a penalty shoot-out is a historic achievement for the club. After losing the first leg, it was sometimes difficult to keep hope alive. Giving up so many chances is punishing, and all the fans at Anfield knew that the task was going to be difficult, but not impossible.
Beyond qualifying, Luis Enrique’s men put in another XXL performance. They managed to stay in the game despite a very difficult second half, and even took the lead in extra time. The penalty shoot-out will go down in history as the first in this competition for the Red and Blues.
The club from the capital thus finds itself in the quarter-finals after eliminating a team with clear title aspirations. There’s still a long way to go, but as with their victory over Manchester City, it’s a confidence-booster for the rest of the competition.
