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Liverpool 0 PSG 1 (agg 1-1, pens 1-4): Mo Salah in tears as Reds KO’d from Champions League in shootout heartbreak

IS this the week when Arne Slot’s Liverpool lose two legs of a potential Treble.

Because this was the worst of all worlds for the Reds as they suffered the heartbreak of a penalty shoot-out – after a shattering two hours of football to leave them with weary legs before Sunday’s Carabao Cup Final against Newcastle

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Paris Saint-Germain players celebrating a penalty shootout win.
PA
Paris Saint-Germain celebrate their Champions League triumph[/caption]
Gianluigi Donnarumma of Paris Saint-Germain saving a penalty kick.
Getty
Darwin Nunez is denied by Gianluigi Dinnarumma[/caption]
Liverpool players celebrating a goal.
Rex
Nunez is comforted by his team-mates[/caption]

Paris St Germain keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma – the man who thwarted England in the Euros final shoot-out of 2021 – saved from Anfield fall-guy Darwin Nunez and sub Curtis Jones to send his side into a likely Champions League quarter-final against Aston Villa next month.

Liverpool have won seven major finals on penalty shoot-outs, including two European Cups – but this was the night when their luck ended from 12 yards. 

Over two legs, PSG deserved to progress – they battered Liverpool in an unlikely first-leg defeat then became only the second side this season to win at Anfield.

After a classic European tie between the champions-elect of England and the permanent kings of France, Slot’s side face an uphill struggle to regain energy for a Wembley showpiece at the weekend. 

Ousmane Dembele prodded home the early goal which levelled the tie on aggregate and after several swings of the pendulum, Paris kept their nerve in the shoot-out.  

Liverpool had taken a plastering from Paris in the first leg, only spared from a heavy defeat by their keeper Alisson playing like a cross between Lev Yashin and Jesus Christ. 

It had been as good a performance any team could have produced without scoring from Luis Enrique’s men – only for sub Harvey Elliott to deck them with a late sucker blow. 

Slot selected the same starting line-up that withstood that pummelling at the Parc des Princes and the visitors were unchanged too.

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Liverpool vs. Paris Saint-Germain match stats infographic.

Salah had been shackled by Nuno Mendes last week and he was denied an opener by the same player within five minutes – Alexis Mac Allister squared to the Egyptian whose shot was blocked over the bar by the PSG left-back.

Soon Salah was darting forward, exchanging passes with Diogo Jota and curling a shot narrowly wide.

Yet having created more in 11 minutes than they had in 90 last week, Liverpool conceded. 

A Mendes pass found Dembele in space and he released Bradley Barcola, whose low ball to the near post caused chaos, Ibrahima Konate sliding in but wrong-footing Alisson, allowing Dembele to hurdle the prone keeper and tap in the loose ball. 

It was Dembele’s 21st goal of this year – not this season. He is hotter even than Salah. 

Konate, who ought to have been sent off early on in Paris, almost made amends for his defensive error by drilling a long-range shot which Gianluigi Donnarumma turned wide. 

It was wild end-to-end stuff, Alisson off his line to pull off a decent save from Barcola.  

Dembele ought to have given Paris the aggregate lead when Khvichka Kvaratskhelia – the winger who tormented Liverpool in France – released him with a sweet through-ball only for a poor touch to allow Alisson to smother. 

Then it was Kvaratskhelia’s chance to spurn a golden opportunity, latching on to Barcola’s cut-back but blazing over.

Next, Dembele had a curling shot deflected wide and Liverpool were rocking. 

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Soccer player scoring a goal.
PA
Ousmane Dembele levels the tie early on at Anfield[/caption]
PSG players celebrating a goal.
EPA
Dembele celebrates his early opener[/caption]

Ref Istvan Kovacs was consistently refusing to bend to the howling whines of The Kop and he turned down a penalty shout just before half-time when Fabian Ruiz had a kick at Dominik Szoboszlai on the edge of the box.

Still, Liverpool are renowned for upping their game in the second half and, straight after the restart, Marquinhos was booked for hauling down Luis Diaz as the hosts seized some momentum. 

The Reds thought they had regained the lead when Trent Alexander-Arnold struck the inside of the post and Szoboszlai found the net, only for the linesman to stick up a flag and rule Diaz to have been offside earlier in the move.

This was far better from Slot’s side and Szoboszlai was soon thwarted again, his deflected wide by an excellent block from Pacho 

From the resulting corner, Donnarumma used his vast wing-span to make a sprawling save from a Diaz header. 

For the first time in the entire tie, PSG were seriously under the cosh, with Liverpool attacking in waves. 

There was another decent penalty shout soon after – Alexander-Arnold’s pass releasing  Salah, who pushed over on the edge of the box by Nunes – Kovacs unmoved again. 

Slot sent on Darwin Nunez for Jota and Jarell Quansah slotted in at right-back after Alexander-Arnold was forced off through injury. 

From an Andy Roberrson free-kick, Quansah headed against the inside of the post.

Nunez was adding a chaos factor up front and Diaz forced another decent save from Donnarumma before Kvaratskhelia went close on a rare PSG break.

In extra-time, the momentum swung back to Paris – subs Beraldo and Desire Doue both went close early on, then Alisson made a fine save to turn a Dembele shot wide.   

But when it came to spot-kicks, Paris produced a perfect four from four as Donnarumma made the difference with two of his trademark swooping saves. 

Liverpool may have to content themselves with the Premier League title this season – unless they can revitalise themselves for Sunday.

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Gianluigi Donnarumma of Paris Saint-Germain saving a penalty kick.
Getty
Donnarumma denies Curtis Jones from 12 yards[/caption]
PSG players celebrating a penalty shootout victory.
Getty
PSG advance to the quarter-finals[/caption]

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Trolls tell me I’ve put them off motherhood after I revealed my feral six-year-old’s disgusting prank

A MUM has revealed how she foiled her six-year-old’s vile prank – which was so bad, trolls were left saying it had ‘put them off motherhood’.

Beth Whitaker took to TikTok to share the disgusting practical joke, which she luckily sniffed out before it was too late.

Woman showing arms covered in red welts, caption reads "What I found in my son's bedroom this morning...."
Beth didn’t fall for her son’s extreme prank
TikTok / @bethwhitaker99
Woman holding a small bottle and showing her rash-covered arm.
She managed to sniff it out before it was too late
TikTok / @bethwhitaker99

The shocking clip, which she posted to her account @bethwhitaker99, has so far been viewed over 641,000 times.

The mum was cleaning her son’s room when she stumbled across her own bottle of body spray.

To Beth’s surprise, the bottle was nearly full.

“I thought, ‘oh, my God, I didn’t have much of this left,'” said Beth. “Like, what is this? It’s p**s. It is p**s.”

To Beth’s horror, her darling son has kindly replenished her fancy spray – using his own urine.

She continued: “And you know why he’s done it? To prank me.

“Because we had a little falling out yesterday, so he has p****d in this, put the twisty thing on, in hopes that I will spray it on me.”

Thankfully, Beth was clever enough to check the bottle before spritzing herself with the horror surprise.

She managed to remain remarkably calm despite the close-miss, but admitted she felt “sick.”

And not willing to risk falling victim to any other tricks, she decided to chuck out the rest of her body spray collection.

“I’m throwing all of them out now, because I can’t trust him.

“Why on earth? What went through his head?”

Beth was left disgusted by her young son’s cunning plan, and couldn’t understand why he had thought the prank would be funny.

TikTok users were left divided

Users were left divided – with some seeing the comical side and others horrified.

One person wrote: “I mean, it’s a little funny.”

While a second commented: “He’s only six, he’s a legend in the making.”

And a third said: “That kid’s going places.” 

But one disgusted viewer commented: “You’ve put me off motherhood.”

And another person suggested Beth got her own back: “Say that you sprayed some perfume on his pillow.”

UK Childcare Laws: What do parents need to know?

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Tiger Woods says he ruptured his Achilles tendon, an injury that will keep him out of the Masters

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods had a less invasive surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon on Tuesday, which will keep him out of the Masters and leaves in question whether he can play in any other major championship the rest of the year. Woods posted the development on his social media accounts [...]

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Why was grieving dad John Hunt robbed of the chance to condemn crossbow monster Kyle Clifford in person?

Face justice

WHY was grieving father John Hunt robbed of the opportunity to condemn crossbow monster Kyle Clifford in person?

“I so wanted to deliver these words eye to eye,” John told the court.

Mugshot of Kyle Clifford, convicted of murder and rape.
Crossbow monster killer Kyle Clifford did not attend his sentencing hearing
PA

Why did our justice system not give him that right?

Why is it now routine for heinous murderers to cock one final snook at their ­victims’ families by refusing to attend trial or sentencing?

They should never have that power.

If they might disrupt proceedings, drag them into the dock, gagged if necessary.

The Tories intended to write such action into law but never did.

Labour aims to do so imminently, including approving “reasonable force”. Good.

Despite Mr Hunt’s unimaginable pain, his statement on the murders of his wife and daughters was brave, moving and immensely powerful.

He deserved for the odious Clifford to be forced to hear it.

A fine mess

HOW many genocidal Jew-hating Hamas supporters have we imported to roam our streets?

No one knows, least of all the Home Office.

But that is the key question after suspected Gazan extremist Abu Wadei arrived by small boat — and it took the Press to alert clueless officials.

Since 2018 more than 150,000 illegal migrants have now landed at Dover, 1.6 times the capacity of Wembley Stadium.

Just three per cent have been deported.

Some of that vast influx may make good citizens, even though they had no right to jump the queue.

What do we know of the rest — their true beliefs, motivations, even their real ages and nationalities?

Precious little.

Yet sickeningly the same inept Home Office to blame for this insanity — alongside successive Governments — fined a couple £1,500 for unwittingly bringing ONE migrant in, secretly clinging to the rear of their motorhome.

Who in Whitehall is paying the fines for letting 150,000 others land by dinghy?

Last orders

IT beggars belief that politicians would see pubs and brewers on the edge of the economic abyss . . . and shove them over.

But for some firms the looming “packaging tax” will prove the final straw.

It will hike beer prices for drinkers and diners — and fuel rising inflation.

Add that to the huge extra burden of a higher minimum wage and National Insurance contributions and you have a lethal cocktail for skint businesses already staring down the barrel.

Last October’s tax-raising Budget has wreaked havoc on jobs even before its most damaging changes actually come into force next month.

This reckless “bevvy levy” is yet another ill-considered grab.

Think again, Chancellor.

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Fans fear Trent Alexander-Arnold has played last game for Liverpool after nasty injury in Champions League clash vs PSG

LIVERPOOL fans are worried that Trent Alexander-Arnold has played his last game for the club.

The Reds full-back, 26, limped off in the second half of Liverpool’s Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain.

Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool FC during a Champions League match.
Getty
Liverpool fans fear Trent Alexander-Arnold has played his last game for the club[/caption]
Trent Alexander-Arnold receiving medical attention on the field.
AP
The full-back was taken off in the second half of Liverpool’s clash with PSG[/caption]

Alexander-Arnold was impressive before being forced out of the contest with just under 20 minutes remaining.

Trailing 1-0, the England star attempted to slide tackle PSG midfielder Vitinha.

The ball was nipped away by the Brazilian, leaving Alexander-Arnold sliding awkwardly on the Anfield turf.

He appeared to tweak something in his left leg, with medical teams immediately dashing onto the field.

Alexander-Arnold was able to stand under his own steam but was swiftly replaced by Jarell Quansah.

One fan groaned on X: “Is that the last time we see Trent Alexander Arnold play for @LFC? Please no.”

Another said: “I won’t be surprised if Trent doesn’t play again this season, could even be his last Liverpool game.”

While a third added: “Trent was quality second half. Looked upset coming off, hopefully not the last time he plays at Anfield.”

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And a fourth commented: “That was such a weird injury for Trent, gutted for him.”

Alexander-Arnold has been with his hometown club Liverpool since the age of six.

He made his debut in 2016 and has since become a firm fan favourite at the club.

But his contract is up in the summer, with no concrete signs yet he will sign a new deal.

Real Madrid were chasing the full-back in January, with Liverpool rebuffing the Spanish champions’ £20m bid.

Alexander-Arnold would be free to sign with the LaLiga giants in the summer if he doesn’t pen a new contract on Merseyside.

His teammates Mo Salah and Virgil Van Dijk are also yet to commit their future to Liverpool.

SunSport revealed last week that Madrid are keen to get Trent through the door BEFORE the Club World Cup in June.

That would require an agreement with Liverpool over a transfer fee for releasing TAA from his contract early.

Ancelotti’s side face Saudi‘s Al-Hilal in their first group game in Miami on June 18.

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