Liverpool 3 - 2 Paris Saint-Germain

Liverpool: Sturridge 30’, Milner (Pen) 36’, Firmino 90+2’

PSG: Meunier 40’, Mbappe 83’

• Pre-match Thought: Roberto Firmino, sans eye patch, and Naby Keita start on the bench tonight, making way for Daniel Sturridge and Jordan Henderson, respectively. The Reds might not be able to get their revenge on a certain Spanish side tonight, but they can make a statement with a win over a very good (and well-funded) Paris Saint-Germain tonight. The Kop is in full voice, and European Nights™ are back at Anfield!
• Making us attack the Kop in the first half. Welp. Your funeral, PSG.
• Ten minutes gone, and the Reds have been all over PSG, already putting three shots on target. No goals yet, but at this rate, they’re coming.
• Mane does everything right, but the finish! He leaves Neymar for dead at the edge of the box, cuts inside and fires a shot with his left boot...only to miss the target wide by, oh, twenty yards or so.
• Van Dijk picks up a rare yellow for an admittedly cynical hold on Mbappe.
• GOAL! If there was a controversy over Sturridge’s inclusion, I don’t know if there can be now. The veteran striker latches on to an Andrew Robertson cross, and nods it home.
• Close! PSG with their best chance of the night. PSG catch Liverpool’s defense asleep, and nearly punish them with a cut-back from Mbappe on a corner. Thankfully the young French international puts it over the bar.
• PENALTY! Georginio Wijnaldum is clipped from behind in the box, and the decision is clear. Penalty for the Reds.
• GOAL!! James Milner steps up and slots with a perfectly placed low shot to the right side. The keeper guesses correctly, but cannot keep it out.
• Goal. The visitors pull one back with quite the lucky goal. First of all, Cavani is not called offside, the resulting unlucky ricochet off Robertson falls to Thomas Meunier, who finds the back of the net with a first time effort.
• Halftime Thought: A tense first half an hour turned into quite the exciting last quarter of an hour. Liverpool will feel more than a bit aggrieved over the offside goal, though they probably should have been punished just moments before from Mbappe. All told, 2-1 feels about right. In other news, Red Star and Napoli are knotted at zeroes, which would be good for us if scores hold.
• Listen, Van Dijk is an insanely talented footballer. Just not sure I want to see our centerback, regardless of insane talent, camping out in the opposing box whilst in possession.
• Controversy. Mo Salah appears to poke home a third, but the goal is chalked off for an apparent foul on the goalkeeper by Daniel Sturridge. If Liverpool don’t earn maximum points from this clash, there will be questions about multiple decisions from the referees.
• About halfway through the second half and it has been all Liverpool so far. Unlike the first half, Liverpool have been dominant in possession, and well-organized in defence.
• Bobby Firmino coming on for Sturridge. Take a bow, Danny, you got this party started.
• Oh hey there horribly wrong offside call when Mane has been set through on goal. These fuckin’ refs.
• Ten minutes left and you can just tell everyone on the pitch is gassed. Hopefully...fuck.
• Goal. PSG have hardly had a sniff this second half, but a sloppy give away from Salah falls to Neymar, who picks out Mbappe, and he slots. Ooof. That’s a blow.
• Shaqiri coming on from Salah in a Champions League match. Probably 5 minutes too late. Didn’t think I’d be saying that six months ago.
• TAA nearly plays the hero, but his free kick can only find the outside of the post.
• GOAL!!! ROBERTO FIRMINO SCORES AT THE DEATH AND DOES AN EYE PATCH CELEBRATION AND I FUCKING LOVE THIS TEAM.
• And Fabinho makes his Liverpool debut!
• Final Whistle Thought: Liverpool could have settled for a disappointing 2-2 draw with referee controversies aplenty. But Bobby was havin’ none of it. Up the might fucking Reds

We’ll be back shortly to take an in-depth look at everything that happened in today’s game with the full recap. Until then, let us know your take on the ups and downs of the match in the comments, and if you haven’t already, join the community on the Liverpool Offside, where we’ll have full coverage and lively in-game discussion for every match this season.