UCL Round of 16: Liverpool, PSG suffer first leg defeats

Though seen as potential finalists, defending champions Liverpool and PSG suffered defeats in their first-leg Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday night.

While Liverpool were beaten 1-0 by Atletico Madrid, PSG lost 1-2 at Borussia Dortmund.

With Tuesday’s result, Liverpool must come from behind in their Champions League last-16 tie against Atletico Madrid after the first-leg defeat in the Spanish capital on Tuesday.

This is Liverpool’s third defeat of what has been an astonishing season.

Struggling domestically but always dangerous in Europe, Atletico got an early winner as Saul Niguez poked home from close range as the ball fell kindly to him from a corner.

Jurgen Klopp’s men dominated the ball (73 per cent) but could not break through the stubborn Atletico defensive wall, with Mohamed Salah going close twice, and Jordan Henderson steering just wide in the second half.

For the game in Germany, Erling Haaland’s goals helped Borussia Dortmund beat Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 and take control of their UEFA Champions League tie in the last 16 on Tuesday night.

Haaland scored twice during eight remarkable second-half minutes that also included Neymar finding the net at the Westfalenstadion.

Neymar had temporarily equalised by scoring what could prove to be a crucial away goal, but Haaland’s second left the 28-year-old, Kylian Mbappe and former Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel stunned at the end of the first leg.

Dortmund face Werder Bremen away in the Bundesliga on Saturday, while PSG host Bordeaux in the French top flight on Sunday.