PSG kept their Champions League title defence firmly on track with a solid 2–0 win over Liverpool in the first leg of the quarter-finals at the Parc des Princes. Désiré Doué opened the scoring in the 11th minute, making the most of PSG’s early dominance, before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia doubled the lead with a clinical strike in the 66th minute. While Liverpool showed some life after the second goal, they never really looked like scoring against Matvey Safonov. Arne Slot’s side have a massive mountain to climb at Anfield, but at 2–0, they aren’t out of it just yet.
Liverpool players rated after the 2-0 loss against PSG in the first leg of the UCL quarter-final at Paris:
Giorgi Mamardashvili – 7/10
The Georgian keeper provided the one real highlight for Liverpool. He kept the score respectable with a brilliant stop from Doué, clawing away what looked like a certain second. He was vocal and controlled his box well, which only made it clearer how much the rest of the team was struggling in front of him.
Jeremie Frimpong – 5/10
Back from injury, Frimpong showed his usual bursts of pace down the right. However, PSG’s aggressiveness on that flank kept him pegged back, preventing him from getting forward and influencing the game the way Liverpool needed.
Virgil van Dijk – 5/10
It was a tough night for the captain, whose performance reflected Liverpool’s general defensive shakiness. While he handled the basics well enough, he lacked that usual commanding presence that organises the backline, particularly when Kvaratskhelia slipped through for the second goal.
Ibrahima Konaté – 5/10
Konaté put in the work and won his fair share of headers, but PSG’s movement off the ball seemed to catch him out of position. He ended up with a yellow card and looked a bit desperate as the game got away from Liverpool.
Milos Kerkez – 5/10
A busy night for Kerkez on the left. He tried to be ambitious going forward, but dealing with the duo of Hakimi and Doué was a massive defensive headache. Ultimately, his work in the final third didn’t result in the quality crosses Liverpool were looking for.
Ryan Gravenberch – 6/10
Gravenberch was actually better than the scoreline suggests, doing the dirty work in midfield. He covered a lot of ground and won the ball back in some good spots, but his influence dropped off once PSG started dominating possession after the second goal.
Alexis Mac Allister – 5/10
An early booking for a foul on Doué seemed to knock Mac Allister off his stride. He played it safe for the rest of the match and never really looked like his usual sharp, high-pressing self, appearing a bit disconnected from the play.
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Dominik Szoboszlai – 6/10
Probably the most proactive of the midfielders, Szoboszlai pressed hard throughout the first half. He managed to carve out a few half-chances, but that final, killer pass just wasn’t there tonight.
Florian Wirtz – 6/10
Wirtz was the source of Liverpool’s few bright moments, showing the vision that’s made him a hit since January. He found good pockets of space between the lines, but he couldn’t quite find the opening to turn the tide of the match.
Mohamed Salah – 5/10
Returning from injury, Salah looked off the pace. He didn’t manage a single shot on target and, while he worked hard defensively, his usual magic in the box was missing when Liverpool needed it most.
Hugo Ekitiké – 5/10
A frustrating return to his old club. Ekitiké was mostly isolated and struggled to hold the ball up against the physical duo of Marquinhos and Pacho. He didn’t lack effort, but he never looked like scoring.
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Substitutes
The bench didn’t offer much of a spark. Alexander Isak came on late and showed a few bright moments, but by then, PSG were in total control and comfortable with their lead.
