PSV Eindhoven 3 – 2 Liverpool
Federico Chiesa shines, but Conor Bradley and Jarell Quansah struggle as Reds lose perfect Champions League record
Despite losing 3-2 to PSV in Eindhoven, Liverpool maintained top spot in their Champions League group, with Federico Chiesa delivering a standout performance.
The injury-prone Italian not only played the full 95 minutes but was the standout player for his team, contributing significantly to the match. He won a penalty, from which Cody Gakpo scored the opening goal, and later played a part in Liverpool’s second as his shot was parried by goalkeeper Walter Benitez, allowing Harvey Elliott to finish.
PSV equalized through Johan Bakayoko’s impressive goal before turning the game around with goals from Ismael Saibari and Ricardo Pepi, both capitalizing on defensive mistakes by Conor Bradley and Jarell Quansah. Liverpool’s misfortunes continued when Amara Nallo was sent off for a professional foul shortly after his debut.
Despite the dramatic events, Liverpool’s qualification for the knockout stages remained unaffected, as they finished top of their group. They will face one of Brest, Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, or Benfica in the next round.
Goalkeeper & Defence
- Caoimhin Kelleher: While Kelleher couldn’t do much about any of the three goals, he was let down by defensive lapses that allowed PSV to score from all three shots on target.
- Conor Bradley: Strong in attack but was caught out defensively. Both of PSV’s second and third goals came down his side, highlighting concerns about his readiness to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold.
- Jarell Quansah: His struggles continued as he was caught out of position for both Bakayoko’s goal and PSV’s third. A shaky performance for the young defender.
- Andy Robertson: Showed moments of quality but was beaten by Bakayoko on the second goal. The center-back experiment didn’t work well in this match.
- Kostas Tsimikas: The best performer at the back, making some important interceptions and even creating chances at the other end, though not without some defensive concerns.
Midfield
- Wataru Endo: His passing was reliable, but he struggled physically, especially during the lead-up to Saibari’s goal. Moved to defense after Robertson’s departure.
- James McConnell: Aggressive in the tackle and solid in duels but lacked consistency in his passing, often wasting possession.
- Harvey Elliott: He was active in the first half, scoring after following up Chiesa’s shot, but his second-half performance was frustrating, capped by a booking for diving.
Attack
- Federico Chiesa: The brightest star for Liverpool, creating both goals with his pressing and dribbling skills. He remained a constant threat even in the dying minutes.
- Jayden Danns: Showed glimpses of his potential with a lively run that earned two yellow cards for PSV but struggled to have much impact on the game otherwise.
- Cody Gakpo: Scored the penalty in his return to Eindhoven, but he wasn’t as involved in the match otherwise and was substituted early in the second half, which seemed to be a planned move.
