'Deserved it slightly more' - Luis Enrique makes Liverpool claim after PSG penalty shootout win

'Deserved it slightly more' - Luis Enrique makes Liverpool claim after PSG penalty shootout win

The PSG boss spoke to the media after his side knocked Liverpool out of the Champions League at Anfield on Tuesday night

Enrique and Donnarumma (Photo by Alex Pantling - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

Luis Enrique admits either side could have progressed after his Paris Saint-Germain side eliminated Liverpool following a titanic Champions League tussle.

The moneybags Ligue Un outfit won 1-0 at Anfield in their round of 16 second leg on Tuesday evening to level the aggregate scores before winning 4-1 on penalties.

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They became only the third French side to triumph at Liverpool in European competition in 17 games, and the first to beat the Reds over two legs having lost the first game at home.

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And PSG boss Enrique said: “Clearly I am happy and really pleased with our performance. It’s difficult to analyse the game today as I’m still feeling all the emotions buzzing around my head.

“It was a significant moment for us and the players and the 3,000-4,000 supporters who were here.

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“Either of the two teams could have gone through, we both deserved to go through. Perhaps we deserved it slightly more, certainly in the first game.

“Today we showed what sort of team we are. We have a huge strength of character and personality, a team that goes out to play its own football regardless of where we play.

“Tonight there were times that Liverpool had the upper hand and were slightly better than us but we kept taking the game to them.

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“We put in a top, top performance which was exactly what we needed to do.”

Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones both saw their penalties saved in the shoot-out by PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, whose unconventional goalkeeping had frustrated Liverpool during normal time.

And Enrique added: “The first game belonged to Alisson Becker and the second game to Donnarumma. It ended up 1-1 after 90 minutes, after extra time, but the penalties reflected who we are. Donnarumma was magnificent.

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“Liverpool are one of the best teams in Europe especially with putting balls into the box and Donnarumma dealt with it.

“We absolutely had to win tonight and that’s we did do. When we lost in the semi-final last year we hit the woodwork six times. The Champions League, it’s not enough to be consistent. You have two games to play, slightest error gets you knocked out.

“Liverpool are one of the best team in Europe, and perhaps deserved to score tonight. People talk about penalties being a lottery, but a lot of time they aren’t. Your mindset comes into it.”

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