Liverpool see red after Neymar dramatics

PARIS: Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp hit out at the referee and Neymar as his side slumped to a 2-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain that leaves last season’s runners-up dangerously close to an early Champions League exit.

Juan Bernat and Neymar scored to put PSG in control in the first half in the French capital on Wednesday, before a James Milner penalty on the stroke of halftime ensured this pivotal game remained in the balance until the end. PSG knew a defeat here coupled with an unfavourable result in the night’s other Group C game could see the ambitious Qatarowned club eliminated already.

But instead it is Liverpool — beaten in each of their last five games away from Anfield in the Champions League — who now seem the more likely to miss out on the last 16.

Klopp acknowledged that his team had not been good enough, but hinted that a “clever” Neymar had play-acted to break the game up.

He was also unhappy at Polish referee Szymon Marciniak for his decision not to send off Marco Verratti for a challenge on Joe Gomez in the first half.

“For me it’s a red card. I look like a bad loser, but I don’t care,” said Klopp.

“Tonight we looked like butchers when you look at how many yellow cards we had. It was clever from PSG, especially Neymar, but a lot of others went down like it was something serious and we were not that calm anymore.”

“It was our last chance to show that we are capable of competing with a team like Liverpool, a team with an incredible mentality,” said PSG coach Thomas Tuchel.

“Everyone was ready to suffer for each other. That was necessary against Liverpool and it was a big step forward for us.”

PSG had only won one of their previous seven games in the competition. However, Klopp’s side were completely overrun in the opening stages at the Parc des Princes. “We were not worried about playing at home. We know how strong we are and we always knew we could do it,” said Kylian Mbappe.