PSG seize 2-0 lead over Liverpool in Paris quarter-final
PSG seize 2-0 lead over Liverpool in Paris quarter-final
PSG take a 2-0 advantage over Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-final first leg in Paris, as Arne Slot’s bold back-five backfires for the visitors.
Paris hosted a 2-0 Champions League quarter-final first leg as Paris Saint-Germain took control against Liverpool with goals from Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia at Parc des Princes. The win gives PSG a comfortable cushion ahead of the return leg in Liverpool next week, putting Arne Slot’s team in a strong position to advance. Paris looked dominant, leveraging their depth and attacking options to puncture a defensively organized Liverpool side.
Liverpool’s lineup, featuring a bold back-five, included Mohamed Salah on the bench—a gamble Slot defended as a move to press higher but one that limited the visitors’ attacking rhythm. The visitors created little and failed to register a shot on target, with Slot acknowledging the difficulty of breaking through a packed PSG defence. A late penalty awarded for a foul by Ibrahima Konate was overturned after a VAR review, underscoring a night where Liverpool struggled to convert chances.
Liverpool did arrive in Paris with momentum after overturning a round-of-16 deficit to thrash Galatasaray in the second leg, but the challenge in the French capital underscored how much more they must improve to overturn the deficit. The second leg at Anfield will likely demand a much more proactive and potent display from the visitors if they are to keep their European campaign alive. PSG’s attackers, meanwhile, demonstrated why they remain a dangerous proposition as the tie heads back to England.
