'Best game of football I was ever involved in' - Arne Slot hails 'incredible level' of Liverpool & PSG but bemoans new Champions League format after 'shock' round of 16 exit

Liverpool bowed out of Europe in the round of 16 stage after going down 4-1 in a penalty shootout against Paris Saint-Germain in Tuesday's second-leg clash at Anfield. The Reds carried a 1-0 lead from the first leg as Harvey Elliott's late goal helped them clinch the game in the French capital. In the second leg, however, Ousmane Dembele scored an early goal that helped the Ligue 1 giants drag the fixture to extra time and then to penalties.

Despite crashing out of the competition, Liverpool boss Arne Slot praised his team's efforts and intensity, especially in the first 25 minutes of the second leg. Speaking to reporters after the game, the Dutchman said: "It was the best game of football I was ever involved in. I don't have the history that Liverpool has as a manager, but it was two teams at an incredible level. It was an incredible intensity in the first 25 minutes. I also remember the first 25 against Manchester City at home and the first 25 against Real Madrid but this was unbelievable, what we showed in the first 25. But I looked at the scoreboard, and we were 1-0 down.

"Over 90 minutes, I don't think we deserved to lose this game of football. Over 180 minutes, maybe it was deserved that we went to extra time. In extra time, I thought maybe PSG were a bit better than us, and then it comes down to penalties, and we lost."

Slot also expressed his frustration with the new competition format as he added: "Of course it's a shock and it's maybe not the moment to tell [the players] now but last season we weren't involved in the Champions League, the season before we went out losing 5-2 to Real Madrid at home. So if you have to go out, then go out in a way that we did against one of the best teams in Europe, making such a fight out of it.

"For us, it's so unlucky that if you are No.1 in the [league phase] table that you then face PSG, who are one of the best teams in Europe, but that's the format we are in. We have to accept it, and we will come back stronger next season."

The Merseyside club will look to recover from the disappointing loss as quickly as possible. Liverpool's focus will now shift to winning their first major trophy of the season as they take on Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.