Liverpool’s good run on this Champions League marketing campaign got here to an finish with a 3-2 defeat at PSV – however Barcelona’s draw at house to Atalanta meant Arne Slot’s facet completed the league part in high spot.
With twists and turns additional down the desk on Wednesday, Liverpool will face both PSG, Benfica, Monaco or Brest within the final 16, as soon as these sides have gone via the play-offs.
Few will need to play Liverpool on the idea of their league-phase performances – though 9 modifications for this last fixture, together with nights off for Mohamed Salah, Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and extra regulars, gave their Dutch hosts a serving to hand.
PSV capitalised and might stay up for a play-off in opposition to both Feyenoord or Juventus for a last-16 spot of their very own.
Cody Gakpo, again enjoying in opposition to his former membership, dispatched an early penalty after Federico Chiesa was caught as Joey Veerman tried to clear, and Harvey Elliott seemed to have Liverpool in management heading into the break when he put away the follow-up to a saved Chiesa shot, after Johan Bakayoko’s high quality equaliser.
However Ismael Saibari smashed in from a decent angle and Ricardo Pepi transformed from close-range to flip the match round.
The second half was far much less thrilling, with the forwards and backwards in Barcelona drawing consideration and switching Liverpool from first to second and up once more within the stay desk. Tyler Morton produced an excellent deal with to disclaim Saibari and gave Liverpool hope of preserving an unbeaten document however when 18-year-old Amara Nallo was despatched off simply 4 minutes into his senior debut for a last-man foul on Bakayoko the consequence was sealed.
That will not fear Slot, although. It is mission full for his Liverpool staff on this part of the competitors. Their battle on 4 fronts continues, with consideration switching to Saturday’s difficult 3pm Premier League journey to Bournemouth whereas they await their Champions League knockout opponents and pathway to be revealed within the upcoming attracts.
Slot: Efficiency pleasing regardless of defeat
Liverpool boss Arne Slot to TNT Sports activities:
“To end up first is always good and the performance today was also pleasing to see, with so many players either not playing in their own position or playing for the first time.
“To maintain up with this PSV staff, particularly within the first half, was good to see. There have been some good performances from people as properly. Lots of them for the primary time made 90 minutes in order that’s additionally optimistic.
“If you can choose, of course you end up first but it doesn’t matter for the teams you face. The end result is that there are hardly any easy opponents if you end up first, second or seventh or eighth.
On the red card: “I have never seen it [the red card] again however I do not suppose there’s quite a bit to complain about. The second aim was a bit extra irritating in the event you ask me in regards to the referee. He was hindering [Wataru Endo] after which Wata received a slight knock. A slight knock is often not sufficient for a foul however after being in the way in which as a referee perhaps you can provide a free-kick as a result of you’ll be able to say, ‘I have never had any affect on the sport’.”
When are the knockout attracts?
To find out who performs who within the knockout rounds, there will probably be two attracts after the league part.
The primary draw on Friday January 31 at 11am will decide which of the 2 choices every staff will get within the knockout play-off. For instance, a staff ending thirteenth will discover out whether or not they’re enjoying in opposition to the staff ending nineteenth or twentieth.
Seeded groups (Ninth-Sixteenth) can have the second leg at house and people play-off spherical matches happen on February 11/12 and February 18/19.
Groups seeded from 1st to eighth must wait till Friday February 21 to search out out their opponents.
That draw will then decide who they face within the spherical of 16, and finally map out their full path to the ultimate.
When are the 2024/25 Champions League knockout fixtures?
- Spherical of 16: March 4/5 and March 11/12, 2025
- Quarter-finals: April 8/9 and April 15/16, 2025
- Semi-finals: April 29/30 and Might 6/7, 2025
- Last: Might 31, 2025
