WATCH: PSG Edges Liverpool in Pivotal Champions League Result
The pressure was high for both PSG and Liverpool as they met for the second time in the Champions League group stage, and it remains high on both entering their group finale–but PSG is the one breathing a little easier.
Juan Bernat and Neymar scored in the opening 37 minutes, and PSG survived after a James Milner penalty kick just before halftime to take a crucial 2-1 win over Liverpool at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday. The result, coupled with Napoli's 3-1 win over Red Star Belgrade, puts Napoli in first place on nine points and PSG in second on eight, with Liverpool currently out of the knockout places with six points and a game to go.
PSG pushed from the opening moments, with Mbappe being sprung for a scoring chance only to have it deflected out for a corner.
In the sixth minute, Angel Di Maria tested Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson with a trademark curling effort, only for the leaping Brazilian to paw it to safety. Off the ensuing corner kick, Thiago Silva wound up with a point-blank header that Alisson also saved, only the offside flag went up and would have nullified a goal anyway.
PSG continued to press, and Bernat scored the key opener in the 13th minute. A blocked cross by Mbappe was cleared right to Bernat's feet, and he rounded a defender to find space before beating Alisson with a low blast to give PSG the 1-0 lead.
PSG's star attacking trio nearly combined for the team's second in the 31st minute. Neymar sliced down the center of the field before spraying a pass wide to Mbappe on the left. The 19-year-old French sensation fired a dangerous cross toward Cavani by the far post, but Alisson managed to get a hand on it before Liverpool cleared the danger.
The second came soon after, though, on a sequence started and finished by Neymar. The Brazilian sprung Mbappe down the left again, where he sent in another dangerous cross. This one was met by Cavani, whose redirect was saved by Alisson. The Liverpool goalkeeper conceded a rebound, though, and Neymar was there to fire home into an empty net to give PSG a 2-0 lead.
Liverpool was given a lifeline just before halftime from the penalty spot. Di Maria took down Mane inside the box in stoppage time, allowing Milner to fire home from the penalty spot, where he beat Gianluigi Buffon to make it 2-1.
PSG appeared to restore its two-goal edge two minutes into the second half, when Marquinhos slid home a goal off a free kick, but it was taken off the board correctly for an offside call, which kept the score at 2-1.
Liverpool pushed and pushed for an equalizer, and it nearly came from Firmino, whose header from the center of the box couldn't be directed on target.
Alisson ensured the deficit remained 2-1 in the 70th minute, when Marquinhos nearly scored off a corner kick. The Brazilian rose highest to meet his countryman Neymar's delivery, but he was denied by another Seleção staple, with the Liverpool goalkeeper making the instinctive stop.
Here were the lineups for both sides:
Both teams close group play on Dec. 11, with Liverpool hosting Napoli needing a win to go through to the last 16 and PSG traveling to face Red Star Belgrade knowing a win would secure its last-16 place as well.
