'No one would have said': Bent claims he knows what Liverpool players all thought before Nunez's penalty miss

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A penalty shootout was a cruel way for Liverpool to exit the Champions League at the hands of PSG on Tuesday.

If you hadn’t watched the game and simply believed everything you read about it, you’d have assumed that the French champions battered the Reds for the full 120 minutes.

However, that was simply not the case at all. Liverpool gave a good account of themselves and in the end it came down to spot-kicks.

Liverpool have a good record during shootouts in the past, but with PSG winning a strange toss and deciding to kick in front of their fans as well as go first, the Reds were immediately on the back foot.

Mohamed Salah dispatched his penalty to level the scores, but after Goncalo Ramos scored, supporters were wondering who would be next up for Liverpool.

With accomplished takers Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and even Trent Alexander-Arnold off the pitch, up stepped Darwin Nunez. Watching on at Anfield and from their homes, Reds fans must have feared the worst. And according to Darren Bent, Nunez’s teammates did, too.

Liverpool players not confident in Darwin Nunez

Nunez was in good form heading into Tuesday’s game having scored on Saturday against Southampton.

Even after he saw his tame penalty saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma, there will remain a feeling that the Uruguayan should have started over Diogo Jota in the Champions League.

Either way, it’s clear that Nunez has not been especially reliable in front of goal this season. And according to Bent, the Liverpool squad will have been worried at seeing him go up for their second penalty of the shootout.

“His confidence is rock bottom at the minute,” said the former England striker. “When he’s going up number two I’m thinking, sometimes players need to be saved from themselves.”

READ MORE: Harvey Elliott reveals which Liverpool player was set to take fifth and final penalty during shootout loss against PSG

“I thought when the manager was asking everyone he should’ve gone to Darwin, ‘no disrespect, but confidence isn’t quite there,’ the only thing that could counter that argument is if no one else put their hand up and he went ‘I’ll do it.'”

“I feel for Darwin Nunez,” Bent added. “No one would have said it but I’m sure there would have been teammates when he got the ball that went ‘oh no, I know what’s’ coming here.’

“You can feel it when you know someone’s got no confidence, it’s such a safe penalty.”

Bent analyses Nunez penalty

As a former penalty taker himself, Bent explained that there were obvious signs from Nunez’s penalty that he did not feel he could score.

“When you’re not full of confidence and you’re going to take a penalty you’re only ever going to go one way, he’s going to go to the keepers left, side foot it, the safe option because he wants to hit the target,” said the pundit.

“Donnarumma would have known that. The last thing you want to do is whip a penalty across your body into the far corner because that takes real confidence. The moment he stepped up I said he’s going there. I’m sure his teammates felt that.”

Although there is rightfully sympathy for Nunez, there were signs on the pitch that not everyone felt that way. Fan footage after the penalty showed that Salah could be seen clearly ignoring the No.9 as he came back to the halfway line following his miss.

Every other Liverpool player goes to make some motion to console Nunez, but Salah remains apart, motionless on the line. After doing his bit, perhaps Mo had simply had enough.