Liverpool on brink of Champions League elimination after damaging Paris Saint-Germain defeat

Liverpool will have to summon another famous European night and beat Napoli, and probably by two clear goals, to reach the last 16 of the Champions League after suffering a Neymar master-class here in Paris.

So much is written and said, so much criticism levelled at the world’s most expensive player, and much of it justified, but, boy, can he play. And how he played in a first-half when his devastating skill and speed was simply too much to contain. Neymar was far less effective after that but the damage was already done even if Liverpool tried desperately to salvage a point.

PSG could still mess it up as they will have to avoid defeat at Red Star Belgrade but Liverpool have work to do after, for the first time, losing all three of their group games in the Champions League in what has been the competition’s most difficult group this campaign.

That will be of little consolation to Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp should they go out, especially having reached the final last season but their destiny remains in their hands. Having lost 1-0 in Naples they need to better that score to progress at Anfield in December. Although the permutations remain complicated it is still all to play for even if Liverpool have dropped to third in Group C.

The pace; the intent was ferocious. The first save was made by Alisson, pushing away an angled Angel di Maria half-volley and then the Liverpool goalkeeper also beat away a point-blank header by Thiago Silva although the move was pulled up for offside. Dejan Lovren just intervened to prevent Edinson Cavani turning in a low cross while Marqhinhos had to react sharply in making a last-ditch challenge to stop Mohamed Salah running through on the PSG goal.