The rout anticipated at Parc des Princes did not materialise, at least not in terms of the scoreline, but the gulf in quality between Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool was laid bare all the same. Arne Slot’s side leave Paris with a scintilla of hope, having arrived with none, and will need to conjure a stunning Anfield recovery on Tuesday just to lay a glove on European champions worthy of the name.
A deflected strike from Désiré Doué plus a superb second from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia gave the holders a deserved advantage in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final. It should have been much more. Ousmane Dembélé missed a hat-trick of openings, striking the outside of a post with his final effort, Nuno Mendes and Doué squandered gilt-edged chances and Liverpool survived two penalty claims. A fine display from the visiting goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili also helped keep the margin of defeat respectful.
Liverpool did not collapse in the manner of Saturday’s FA Cup exit at Manchester City and there was a resolve that has been painfully absent from recent matches. The comforts were of the crumb variety. Slot’s team were a distant second best throughout and the head coach was honest enough to admit Liverpool were “completely ripped apart” at times and “in survival mode”. The fact this tie is not over is their greatest consolation. Liverpool and Anfield will both have to be at their ferocious best – and that has not been witnessed from the former too often this season – to overcome Luis Enrique’s outstanding side.
Slot had to try something different following the collapse at the Etihad Stadium. Something different turned out to be deploying a three-man central defence for the first time in his Liverpool reign, what a place to try it, with Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez operating as wing-backs. Mohamed Salah was dropped to the bench as Slot sought to condense the centre of the pitch and prevent Vitinha from dictating proceedings. That was the theory. The reality proved different, and in line with pre-match expectations.
Liverpool and the ball were often strangers as PSG dominated possession – 70% in total, with 696 passes completed compared to the visitors’ 198 – and picked holes in the visitors’ midfield from the start.
The warning signs were clear before Liverpool conceded the early goal they were so desperate to avoid. PSG prospered repeatedly down their left with Frimpong and Ibrahima Konaté unable to contain the movement and incisive touches of Kvaratskhelia, Doué and Mendes. Doué started and finished the move that produced the opener, turning Konaté easily on the halfway line and regaining possession on the left from Dembélé. The forward’s shot from the corner of the penalty area took a wicked deflection off Ryan Gravenberch and looped over Mamardashvili. It was the worst possible start for a Liverpool team that went down without a fight at City and had lost 14 of the previous 18 games in which they have conceded first this season.
Yet they made it to half-time without suffering further damage. For that the visitors had Mamardashvili to thank. Liverpool were indebted to a heroic display from Alisson in their last 16 first leg victory here last season and, while not at the same level as the Brazilian’s display, his deputy made a vital contribution. The Georgia international produced a fine save to tip away a Kvaratskhelia shot that was heading towards the bottom corner via a deflection off Alexis Mac Allister. He also denied Doué from close range. A tame effort from Dembélé at the end of another penetrating PSG counterattack, rolled straight at the keeper, was reminiscent of his costly miss for Barcelona against Liverpool in the 2019 Champions League semi-final.
Liverpool did not have one attempt on target and PSG were too casual for their own good at times, but Slot’s side settled into the contest as well as their new-look defensive formation. Joe Gomez taking an age over his long throw-ins also managed to disrupt the hosts’ dangerous rhythm, much to Luis Enrique’s annoyance.
Dembélé should have doubled PSG’s lead when Kvaratskhelia and Mendes again combined down the left. The Ballon d’Or holder had a free shot from the full-back’s pull-back and blazed over from 12 yards. But there would be no reprieve for Liverpool.
The misses did not disturb PSG’s composure and they extended their advantage in superb style through Kvaratskhelia. João Neves threaded a superb return pass into the area between Gravenberch and Konaté for the Georgian winger to hold off the Liverpool midfielder, round his international teammate Mamardashvili and convert into an unguarded net in one flowing movement.
It threatened to get worse for Slot when PSG were awarded a penalty for a Konaté challenge on Warren Zaïre-Emery. The Spanish referee José María Sánchez Martínez was advised to check the pitch-side monitor where replays showed Konaté getting a slight touch on Zaïre-Emery, not enough for a penalty, before winning the ball. Liverpool players punched the air when the referee overturned his decision. It was all they had to celebrate, and Konaté escaped again with a push on Mendes in stoppage time. The tie is not over but, on this evidence, there is a long way back for Liverpool.
