Paris Saint-Germain 0-1 Liverpool: Alisson on fire as Harvey Elliott hands Reds smash-and-grab victory in Paris | OneFootball

Liverpool have secured a first-leg advantage over Paris Saint-Germain courtesy of a 1-0 triumph in their Champions League meeting at Parc des Princes on Wednesday.

With both teams well on course for domestic glory, securing a European title was the major target heading into the final few weeks of the campaign.

Having scored in every home game this season, PSG would have fancied their chances of getting on the scoresheet.

Joao Neves had the first real chance after some lovely work from Ousmane Dembele, but the midfielder could not keep his effort down.

Luis Enrique’s side thought they had taken the lead through Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s sublime curler, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.

Kvaratskhelia was at it again just shy of the half-hour mark as he called Alisson into action with a long-range, left-footed drive.

PSG were a tad unlucky not to have opened the scoring moments later, with Dembele and Bradley Barcola spurning gilt-edged chances within moments of each other.

Kvaratskhelia continued his personal duel with Alisson eight minutes shy of the interval, but the goalkeeper showed great reflexes to divert the winger’s deflected effort for a corner.

That concluded the major attacking highlights from the first half, at the end of which PSG were frustrated not to have been ahead, having been in the ascendancy.

After the restart, PSG needed some time replicating the tempo from their first-half performance as the second period began somewhat on a flat note.

The home side started to up the ante about 10 minutes into the second half as Kvaratskhelia drew two fine saves from Alisson less than three minutes apart.

Perhaps the only Liverpool player who can hold his head up high, Alisson was on hand to deny Desire Doue on two separate occasions before reacting sharply to repel Dembele’s cross-cum-shot.

Shortly after coming on for a largely underwhelming Mohamed Salah, Harvey Elliott produced the game’s decisive moment three minutes from time.

He latched on to a Darwin Nunez pass to finish beyond the largely untroubled Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Stunned by the cruel concession of a goal so late on, PSG went in search of a leveller in the final minutes of the game, albeit all to no avail.

While PSG will count themselves unlucky to have come away empty-handed off the back of such a strong performance, they are by no means out of the tie heading into next week’s return leg at Anfield.

The Ligue 1 champions must first navigate an away clash at Rennes this weekend, while their English counterparts will entertain Southampton.