Liverpool’s unbeaten streak in the Champions League came to an abrupt end with a 3-2 defeat to PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday. Despite the loss, Arne Slot’s team achieved their goal of finishing atop the newly formatted group stage.
The match saw a Liverpool side featuring several changes as they sought to secure an eighth consecutive victory. They took the lead twice, first through Cody Gakpo’s penalty after being fouled by Joey Veerman, and later via Harvey Elliott, who capitalized on a rebound. However, PSV responded valiantly with Johan Bakayoko and Ismael Saibari both leveling the score before the end of the first half. The decisive moment came when Ricardo Pepi scored in stoppage time to secure the win for PSV.
Liverpool’s late-game drama was compounded by the sending off of debutant Amara Nallo, who was shown a straight red card just minutes after being introduced as a substitute.
While this was only Liverpool’s third loss of the season across all competitions, their finish at the top of the group with 21 points—two points clear of Barcelona—indicates a successful campaign thus far. Barcelona could only manage a draw against Atalanta in their closing match, further solidifying Liverpool’s position.
Liverpool defender Andy Robertson highlighted the positives despite the setback, saying, “We can take a lot of positives from tonight… We got our noses in front at 2-1 and then were a bit naive, which usually doesn’t happen.” He reflected on the opportunity given to younger players and remarked on the overall objective of topping the group stage, which they successfully achieved.
As the summer transfer saga appeared to be a backdrop, Gakpo’s impressive performance against his former team was noteworthy. Despite the defeat, there are encouraging signs for Liverpool as they look to regroup and carry the momentum from a strong group stage performance into the knockout rounds.
This match serves as a reminder of the unpredictability of football and the importance of resilience. Liverpool will need to address some areas of improvement as they move forward, particularly in managing leads and maintaining discipline on the field. However, the experience gained, especially for younger players like Nallo, will be invaluable for their development and future matches.