Mac Allister produces standout display as Liverpool suffer Champions League heartbreak vs PSG | OneFootball

Liverpool suffered a heartbreaking Champions League Round of 16 exit against French champions Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield.

The Reds nudged ahead in the first leg in Paris after a smash-and-grab performance that saw Harvey Elliott come from the bench to help Arne Slot’s side snatch a 1-0 win.

Despite returning to Anfield with only a slender advantage, there was plenty of optimism that the Reds could see off their French counterparts at their fortress.

However, things didn’t go according to script for Liverpool as Ousmane Dembele’s 12th-minute opener sent the tie into penalties, and the Reds faltered under the bright lights.

Mohamed Salah led the way for the Reds, dispatching his effort with aplomb from 12 yards out, but Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones couldn’t get past Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Unlike their English counterparts, PSG were clinical from the spot, and Desire Doue netted the decisive spot-kick to send Liverpool packing.

There were uncharacteristically only a handful of decent individual performances from Liverpool, but one player who stood out was Alexis Mac Allister.

The Argentine midfielder was the engine room in Slot’s midfield.

His performance was even more commendable, considering he had little help from his midfield partner Ryan Gravenberch in dealing with Vitinha and Joao Neves.

Mac Allister was caught out on a couple of occasions, one of which led to PSG’s opener, but aside from that mishap, he was exceptional in the middle of the park.

The 26-year-old was heavily involved in Liverpool’s attacking endeavours, recording 80 touches.

He completed 43/47 passes with a 91% pass accuracy, made five key passes, and created two big chances.

He also completed two out of three long passes, won six out of 12 ground duels, made four tackles and chipped in with two interceptions.

Mac Allister has been a vital cog in Liverpool’s midfield this season, contributing five goals and four assists in 41 games across all competitions.

Slot will demand more of the same from the midfield maestro when Liverpool lock horns with Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final at Wembley Stadium.