Virgil van Dijk has warned Liverpool’s Champions League suffering is not yet over after coming through a gruelling examination against Paris St Germain in the Parc des Princes.
Having been totally dominated for 87 minutes substitute Harvey Elliott scored with his first touch – and his team’s first shot on target – to snatch a barely-believable 1-0 victory in their Champions League last-16 first leg.
PSG were so dominant – they outshot their opponents 27 to two and had more than 70 per cent possession – Liverpool looked a different team from the one which has opened up a 13-point lead in the Premier League having won their first seven European matches conceding just one goal.
It was torturous viewing for fans inside the stadium and watching on television and was not that much fun for the players either who, particularly in the first half, looked a shadow of their best selves.
Although Elliott’s goal changed the complexion of the tie, next week’s return at Anfield has the potential to be equally fraught against a team who saw their 10-match winning run – in which they scored 40 times – and unbeaten sequence stretching back to November ended.
“It should be a great game and we have to be ready to suffer as they are a very good team who were unbeaten for a very long time,” said Van Dijk.
“A team that has blown sides away this season and we have managed to keep a clean sheet (PSG failed to score at home for the first time this season), get a 1-0 win and put ourselves in a good position.
“I think you could see, it was not the usual game we like to play.
“We don’t want to be playing this way because everyone who plays football wants to have the ball a lot and wants to be dominating opponents.
“But we played against a team with a lot of quality, world-class quality, and they made it very difficult for everyone in the world so far and they made it difficult for us but we found a way and we have to try to finish it off next week.”
In the first half Liverpool were more rattled than they had been for many a season, even including their two Champions League final defeats to Real Madrid in 2018 and 2022.
Not since the 2019 semi-final first leg in Barcelona, ahead of that famous Anfield comeback on their way to winning the trophy, had they looked more overwhelmed.
Yet they managed to hold out largely thanks to a man-of-the-match performance from goalkeeper Alisson Becker and PSG started to run out of ideas in the last 20 minutes.
Asked whether it had been his toughest test in a Liverpool shirt Van Dijk added: “I don’t know because I felt like we knew they would come blazing out in terms of the press one vs. one.
“Our plan was to go over the press and make runs in behind and it worked a couple of times but I think we were a bit too rushed at times with our decision making.
“But what I really liked was the togetherness, everyone put a shift in and we know everyone can be better.”
Arne Slot‘s side are among the favourites to win a seventh European Cup and while Wednesday night was awkward the test of their resilience was further proof they possess the mettle and depth of squad – two substitutes combined for the winner – when the going gets tough.
“It says a lot. We are coming to the last stages of the season and the message is pretty clear: everyone who is part of the team has to play a part when they come on,” said Van Dijk.
“With the goal you saw Darwin makes it difficult for Marquinhos and the ball falls and he gives a good pass to Harvey for the finish.
“Even Wataru coming on, Curtis doing a good job is good to see.
“Everyone needs to feel that importance because there are many big games – and decisive games – coming up so we have to keep going.”
