Cody Gakpo, the 26-year-old Liverpool and Netherlands forward, spoke in an interview with The Athletic. The Reds’ No. 18 notably looked back on the 2024–25 Champions League Round of 16 elimination against Paris Saint-Germain, reflecting on a very tight two-legged tie while assessing what was otherwise a strong season.
“And then we lost against PSG, who are a very good team. But if we compare ourselves to them, it was close both ways. They played a very good game in Paris, I think we played a very good game at Anfield, so it could have gone either way, but they won and they also went on to win the Champions League.
So we thought: ‘Oh, if only we had beaten them…’ But that’s part of football, and that’s why we work so hard — to try and win.”
It’s easy to understand the frustration on Liverpool’s side, as Premier League champions and one of the Champions League favourites. Gakpo and his teammates might well have gone on to lift the trophy if they had managed to knock PSG out.
The Round of 16 clash really came down to fine margins. Paris largely dominated the first leg but lacked finishing touch. The second leg was much more balanced, with Liverpool even creating some good chances to take the lead, before conceding on a small defensive lapse.
Gakpo remains gracious in defeat, stressing that this is part of football. You have to accept the bad moments — the times when things don’t go your way — and just work as hard as possible to make sure they do the next time.
