Champions League: Liverpool perilously close to an early exit after loss
GENEVA— As four teams advanced to the Champions League knockout round Wednesday, last season’s runner-up Liverpool edged closer to an early exit.
A 2-1 loss at Paris Saint-Germain in the night’s marquee match was Liverpool’s fifth straight away defeat in the competition, and sparked wild celebrations in Parc des Princes.
Liverpool, whose only shot on target was James Milner’s penalty to cut PSG’s lead in first-half stoppage time, fell to third place in Group C that has proved the tightest of the season so far.
Still, a two-goal win over cur- rent group leader Napoli — which got two goals from Dries Mertens in beating Red Star Belgrade 3-1 — in two weeks’ time will send coach Juergen Klopp’s team into the round of 16
Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund ensured they will advance from Group A, and Porto won Group D with a game to spare with Schalke advancing as runner-up.
Barcelona began the week as the only team to qualify after four rounds of games, and was lifted by Lionel Messi’s sixth goal of the campaign to win 2-1 at PSV Eindhoven.
The five-time European champion clinched victory in Group B and will be seeded in the round of 16 — guaranteed to be drawn against a group runner-up and with the second-leg game at home.
In a tense battle to join Barcelona in the Dec. 17 draw, Tottenham got an 80th-minute goal from substitute Christian Erik- sen to beat Inter Milan 1-0 at Wembley Stadium.
Tottenham avoided elimination and joined the Italians on seven points.
The verve of Liverpool’s wins on the road last season — at Manchester City and Porto in the knockout rounds — has been badly missing with three straight losses in this group this time around.
PSG’s 40-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon had a relatively easy evening at Parc des Princes, while at the other end Liverpool’s Alisson had to make saves to keep the score line close.
The runaway French league leader unsettled Liverpool’s defence from the start.
The hosts took a two-goal lead through left-back Juan Bernat’s shot in the 13th and Neymar finishing off a rapid attack fuelled by Kylian Mbappe in the 37th.
An expected late surge by Liverpool never came, and Klopp’s side must now earn a third straight win at Anfield on Dec. 11 to advance.
Napoli has nine points, PSG eight and Liverpool six with no team yet to advance.
Liverpool will go above Napoli on a head-to-head tiebreaker with a win by two clear goals over coach Carlo Ancelotti’s team.
A Red Star win over PSG in Belgrade would also open the door to Liverpool.