IT’S EYE DRAMA
Firmino provides stunning finale to epic clash as tireless, selfless Milner shows why he’s a true Reds hero
THE first one arrived before 10 minutes were on the clock, leaving £200millionworth of Brazilian footballer in a winded heap.
It was the first of several, James Milner making it a personal crusade to seek Neymar’s heat.
Every challenge was cheered to the shaking rafters, every block uproariously celebrated.
It was that sort of night, when the intensity of Milner and his team-mates was ultimately too much for Parisian style.
Yes, the final dramatic act was provided by Roberto Firmino, who rendered Kylian Mbappe’s late equaliser meaningless with his superb added-time winner.
But another spine-tingling Anfield night belonged as much to the likes of Milner as it did to Firmino and his stunning intervention.
Not that this triumph was founded only on fire and steel. Liverpool were as accomplished as a PSG team with a fondness for show-ponying. But there is no doubt the passion of the occasion helped.
It was some atmosphere – the sort that demands demonic commitment and the sort that can spook opponents.
That early Milner tackle on Neymar was afforded the same adulation as the Virgil van Dijk volley that had keeper Alphonse Areola clocking on for a busy shift. Jordan Henderson’s motivational early rant was feted as much as Sadio Mane’s shot that fizzed low and close.
Jurgen Klopp’s ridiculously early air-punching was cheered until the next Milner move on Neymar.
And just when PSG thought they had walked unscathed through the storm, Sturridge smuggled himself between Thiago Silva and Presnel Kimpembe to emphatically divert a delicious Andy Robertson cross past Areola.
Bedlam returned and so did Liverpool’s zeal, the revelatory talent that is Gini Wijnaldum driving into the box and drawing a penalty from Juan Bernat. Milner’s conversion was what you would expect, nerveless. Indeed, this is a nerveless Liverpool team, these marquee occasions never seeming to faze therm.
They were right to consider themselves hard done by when Thomas Meunier took advantage of a ricochet off Robertson to give PSG unlikely hope before half-time, the linesman ignoring an offside Edinson Cavani’s unsuccessful attempt at an overhead kick.
Maybe Liverpool were guilty of allowing Meunier to go unattended but when Neymar,
Cavani and Mbappe are buzzing around, it is understandable.
Klopp said this PSG squad is one built specifically to win the Champions League but it is one that will come under the sort of pressure exerted by Liverpool as long as it maintains its current system.
As far as defensive duties were concerned, there pretty much were none for the three up top, particularly Neymar.
That gave Trent AlexanderArnold a free pass to get forward when he could and it was no surprise he had a part in that first goal.
In the second half, the fullbacks were a shade more conservative but Liverpool were still the more threatening, Mo Salah having an effort disallowed and Sturridge wasting a chance.
Such misses looked costly when Mbappe levelled but Firmino, on for Sturridge, wrote another chapter in Liverpool’s European history. But no one here will forget Milner’s role in this tale – certainly not £200m- worth of Brazilian footballer.