"He is a proper baller", "He’s getting the league over the line for us" - Fans praise Liverpool star for performance despite loss to PSV

Fans online have praised Liverpool winger Federico Chiesa for his performance in their 3-2 loss to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Wednesday (January 29). The Reds traveled to the Phillips Stadion for their final group-stage game, having already clinched a spot in the knockout stages.

The Reds' boss Arne Slot did not field a full-strength squad, with players like Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Virgil van Dijk missing out. Instead, the head coach opted for players like Wataru Endo, James McConnell, and Chiesa to impress, and the Italian did just that.

He completed three dribbles - the most by any player on the pitch - proving to be an unstoppable problem for the PSV defenders. He made five recoveries and won an impressive 11 duels - also the most by any player on the pitch. He was fouled four times as he troubled the defenders, even winning a penalty for Cody Gakpo to finish in the first half.

The fans were impressed with what Chiesa had to offer, despite the 27-year-old struggling for first-team minutes. They shared their comments on X/Twitter.

"Chiesa is a proper baller. Liverpool boys are good. The future is bright," a fan was delighted.

"I’m all in on Chiesa. He’s getting the league over the line for us," another fan wrote.

"Chiesa MOTM [Man Of The Match] for me," a third commented.

"Chiesa was fantastic tonight. His energy, work rate and his skill was impressive. He's unlikely to dislodge Mo but he's a viable option in any of the front three spots. Also thought McConnell was excellent. His ball carrying and tenacity was top drawer," this fan analyzed.

"Chiesa excellent tonight for Liverpool and now 90 minutes under his belt. Going from strength to strength. LFC," a fan was pleased.

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Liverpool lose 3-2 to PSV Eindhoven in Champions League

Liverpool ended up on the losing side at the Phillips Stadion on Wednesday. However, they seemed to have the game in the bag before faltering in the second half.

In the 28th minute, a poor tackle on Federico Chiesa in the penalty area gave Cody Gakpo the chance to open the scoring from the spot. The Dutchman finished his effort properly to put the Reds ahead. Not long after, Johan Bakayoko equalized for PSV (35').

Liverpool were unrelenting, as they went ahead again through Harvey Elliot (40'). However, the Reds faltered again in defense and conceded to Ismael Saibari on the cusp of half-time (45').

Ricardo Pepi gave PSV the lead in injury time of the first half, taking advantage of some poor defending from the Reds (45+6'). The second half did not see any goals, but Liverpool will not mind, as they have sealed their spot in the next round.