Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored the goals to give a dominant Paris Saint-Germain a 2-0 win over Liverpool in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday, as the holders seized a clear advantage to take to Anfield for next week’s return.
Doue’s shot in the 11th minute looped over goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and in thanks to a big touch off Ryan Gravenberch, and Kvaratskhelia then rounded his compatriot to double PSG’s lead 65 minutes into a game they bossed from start to finish.
It only remains to be seen whether the reigning European champions –- who had a second-half penalty in their favour overturned after a VAR review — might regret not scoring more goals against a Liverpool side who lined up with three centre-backs, an extreme rarity for them under Arne Slot, and were run ragged.
“I think we had chances to score more. There were many moments where we should score but it is OK,” Kvaratskhelia told broadcaster Canal Plus.
“I think 2-0 is good but we have to stay focused because we have to play at Anfield. We know that the atmosphere will be amazing so we are already starting to prepare that game.”
Liverpool’s game plan could not stop them slumping to a second emphatic loss in five days, even if the scoreline was not as bad as the 4-0 mauling inflicted by Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals last weekend.
It is just one win in six in all competitions now for Liverpool, and this was a 16th reverse in total in a difficult campaign.
Slot’s team must now try to repeat what they did in the last 16, when they overturned a 1-0 first-leg loss away to Galatasaray by winning 4-0 in the return.
This will be a far tougher task, however, as the sides clash again next Tuesday on Merseyside, where PSG won 1-0 in the second leg of their last-16 tie last season before advancing on penalties.
That was a big step on their way to winning the Champions League, and came after they somehow lost 1-0 at the Parc des Princes despite completely dominating.
A string of Alisson Becker saves helped Liverpool smash and grab their way to victory a year ago, but the Brazilian was absent here meaning Mamardashvili started in goal for the visitors.
Salah left on bench
Mohamed Salah was also left out of the line-up by Slot, instead taking a place on the bench alongside Alexander Isak with the Swede involved again after suffering a leg fracture in December.
Hugo Ekitike started up front for Liverpool against the club where he spent 18 months earlier in his career and failed to escape the shadows of Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar.
Joe Gomez slotted in alongside Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk as a third central defender, as Liverpool set out to press high but ultimately spent the night chasing the ball.
PSG were already well in control before they scored, as Doue collected the ball just outside the box following an Ousmane Dembele dribble, advanced into the area and tried a shot which struck Gravenberch’s boot and took a looping trajectory which left the goalkeeper flummoxed.
Mamardashvili did later save from Kvaratskhelia and Doue meaning there was just one goal in a one-sided first half in which PSG had 70 percent possession and Liverpool’s only attempt came from Jeremie Frimpong when he was offside.
The pattern of the contest did not really change after the break, with Dembele blazing over from a great position before the second goal arrived almost midway through the second half.
A superb threaded Joao Neves pass released Kvaratskhelia through the inside-left channel, and the Georgian held off Gravenberch before rounding the goalkeeper to tuck in.
Liverpool were then rescued by the Spanish referee’s decision to change his mind after initially awarding a penalty when Konate brought down Warren Zaire-Emery, while also taking the ball.
Small mercies for Slot, who sent on Isak in a quadruple substitution on 78 minutes, but left Salah on the bench.
Dembele hit the post late on for PSG, although they are firmly in control after a ninth win in a game against Premier League opposition since the start of last year.
AFP
