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Liverpool player ratings vs PSG: Roberto Firmino save the day in Champions League opener

By John Vaccaro

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 18: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Roberto Firmino of Liverpool scores a goal during the Group C match of the UEFA Champions League between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield on September 18, 2018 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 18: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Roberto Firmino of Liverpool scores a goal during the Group C match of the UEFA Champions League between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield on September 18, 2018 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images) /
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LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 18: Alisson Becker of Liverpool celebrates after the Group C match of the UEFA Champions League between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield on September 18, 2018 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Alex Livesey – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 18: Alisson Becker of Liverpool celebrates after the Group C match of the UEFA Champions League between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield on September 18, 2018 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Alex Livesey – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images) /

Matchday 1 of the Champions League saw Liverpool continue their hot start against Paris Saint-Germain.

Liverpool came out pressing right from the start of the match and kept PSG pinned in their own half for most of the first half. It took a little while for it to pay off, but it eventually led to a breakthrough. Daniel Sturridge got his head to an Andrew Robertson cross and put it in the back of the net to open the scoring for Liverpool 30 minutes in.

It didn’t take long for them to add a second goal. 6 minutes later Georginio Wjinaldum drew a penalty on an unnecessary challenge from Juan Angel Di Maria. James Milner stepped up to the spot and perfectly buried the penalty to give Liverpool the 2-0 lead.

PSG would pull one back before before halftime. Just 4 minutes after the Milner penalty, Bernat found some measure of redemption when his cross led to PSG’s first goal of the day. Edinson Cavani tried to bicycle kick the cross in, but whiffed. Thomas Meunier took the opportunity and blasted a volley into the net to get PSG back into the match.

The game would stay at 2-1 for a while, but this match really heated up late on. Neymar played Kylian Mbappe in on goal in the 83rd minute and Mbappe seemingly stole an extremely important point for PSG. However, Roberto Firmino wasn’t going to let that happen.

PSG turned the ball over in their own half late in the match giving Liverpool one last chance to open the Champions League season with a win. Firmino made that chance count. His impressive finish gave Liverpool 3 points that could be key to winning this group.

The win extended Liverpool’s perfect start that includes 5 consecutive wins in the Premier League.

GK: Alisson 6/10

Alisson wasn’t particularly impressive against PSG. He didn’t save any particularly tough shots. He parried some balls that he should’ve caught, leaving the defense to deal with the danger. He didn’t play well as a distributor. That being said, there wasn’t really anything he could’ve done to stop the two goals that scored and didn’t make any glaring mistakes in the match. He wasn’t good, but he also wasn’t bad and that was enough for Liverpool in this match.

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