PSV 3 Liverpool 2: Arne Slot’s youthful side beaten by Dutch giants… but still seal Champions League top spot
PSV 3 Liverpool 2: Arne Slot’s youthful side beaten by Dutch giants… but still seal Champions League top spot
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ARNE SLOT claimed a "wise man" once told him nothing good ever came from a defeat. The identity of the Liverpool’s manager’s Yoda-style mentor remains a mystery but he may also have mentioned that the results of pre-season friendlies do not matter.
![[Liverpool players celebrating a goal.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2025-liverpools-cody-gakpo-celebrates-967635251.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Because here in Eindhoven, it felt exactly like that for Liverpool - the sort of match we see in July - with Slot mixing and matching his team without worrying too much about the outcome. Even though they lost, Liverpool finished in the top two. So this third defeat of the Slot reign really was an irrelevance and not one anyone will dwell on.
![[Cody Gakpo scoring a penalty kick.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2025-liverpools-cody-gakpo-scores-967635213.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Slot will certainly not stress about a late red card for Liverpool substitute defender Amara Nallo for a tackle on Johan Bakayoko. Nothing happened until Cody Gakpo scored against his former club with a 28th-minute penalty. Bakayoko equalised, Harvey Elliott restored Liverpool lead and then Ismael Saibari levelled in the 45th minute.
![[Johan Bakayoko of PSV Eindhoven scoring a goal.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2025-psv-eindhovens-johan-bakayoko-967637643.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Remarkably, in the sixth minute of first-half stoppage time, PSV got what was to be their winner. And it was credited to Ricardo Pepi but looked like a Conor Bradley own goal. BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS. Yet it was always going to be a strange night.
![[Pass map of James McConnell v PSV: 28 completed passes, 6 incomplete passes.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/the-sun-22-23-pass-map-177fadb1-68fe-4653-9f60-b1bf6661574e.jpeg?strip=all&w=960)
With captain Virgil van Dijk among several high-profile absentees left at home, Andy Robertson not only wore the skipper’s armband. The Scot also replaced the Dutchman in central defence so there were always going to be a few gaps at the back. Striker Jayden Danns was handed a full debut up front while midfielder James McConnell made only his third start.
![[Harvey Elliott of Liverpool scoring a goal.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/harvey-elliott-liverpool-scores-third-967641510.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
