The Champions League quarter-final first leg clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool delivered a one-sided spectacle in Paris on Wednesday, as the reigning European champions seized a commanding 2-0 lead to defend in next week’s return leg at Anfield. Goals from teenage midfielder Desire Doue and Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia sealed the result for a PSG side that controlled every phase of the contest from kickoff to final whistle, leaving Liverpool with a mountainous task to turn the tie around next Tuesday.
The opening goal came early in the 11th minute, after Ousmane Dembele broke down the right flank with a sharp dribble and laid the ball off just outside the Liverpool penalty area. Doue collected the pass, pushed into the box, and fired a low effort that took a heavy deflection off Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch, looping the ball over goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and into the back of the net. PSG maintained their stranglehold on possession through the first half, holding 70% of the ball and forcing multiple saves from Mamardashvili, while Liverpool’s only effort on goal came from an offside Jeremie Frimpong, leaving the French side with a narrow 1-0 lead at the break.
The pattern of domination did not shift after halftime. In the 65th minute, 19-year-old Joao Neves split Liverpool’s reshuffled three-man backline with a pinpoint threaded pass that released Kvaratskhelia through the inside-left channel. The Georgian winger held off a challenge from Gravenberch, rounded his compatriot goalkeeper Mamardashvili, and slotted the ball into an empty net to double PSG’s advantage.
A brief moment of relief came for Liverpool shortly after, when Spanish referee initially awarded PSG a penalty after Warren Zaire-Emery went down under a challenge from Ibrahima Konate. A VAR review overturned the decision, with officials ruling Konate had made a clean tackle to win the ball, sparing Liverpool from falling further behind. Late in the match, Dembele hit the goalpost as PSG pushed for a third decisive goal, but the 2-0 scoreline held.
A notable talking point from the tie was Liverpool manager Arne Slot’s surprising team selection. Slot opted for an unusual three-man central defensive line – a formation rarely deployed by the Dutch coach since taking charge – with Joe Gomez joining regular starters Virgil van Dijk and Konate at the back. Star forward Mohamed Salah was also left on the bench, with former PSG striker Hugo Ekitike starting up front against his old club, where he spent 18 months playing in the shadow of Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar. First-choice goalkeeper Alisson Becker missed the clash through injury, opening the door for Mamardashvili to make his first Champions League start for the club. Slot made a quadruple substitution in the 78th minute to inject fresh energy into his fatigued side, including bringing on Alexander Isak for his first appearance since suffering a leg fracture in December, but opted to keep Salah on the bench for the full 90 minutes.
The result extends a miserable run of form for Liverpool, marking their second heavy defeat in five days. Just a week prior, the side fell 4-0 to Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals, and now hold just one win from their last six matches across all competitions, marking their 16th loss of a difficult 2024-25 campaign.
Post-match, Kvaratskhelia acknowledged PSG’s control of the tie but warned against complacency ahead of the return leg at Anfield. “I think we had chances to score more. There were many moments where we should score but it is OK,” he told Canal+. “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 now face the tough challenge of overturning a two-goal deficit, and will look to repeat their comeback from the last 16 of this season’s tournament, when they overturned a 1-0 away first-leg loss to Galatasaray with a 4-0 home win to advance. However, the task will be far steeper against a PSG side that already has history of winning at Anfield in the knockout stages. Last season, PSG claimed a 1-0 away win at Merseyside in the second leg of the last 16, drawing the tie 1-1 on aggregate before advancing on penalties on their way to lifting the Champions League trophy. That result came after Liverpool had snatched a 1-0 first-leg win in Paris despite being dominated by the French side, with a string of saves from Alisson securing the result. This time around, with Alisson sidelined and PSG holding a two-goal lead, Liverpool’s path to the semi-finals looks exceedingly narrow.
For PSG, the result extends their impressive recent record against English top-flight opposition, marking their ninth win against Premier League clubs since the start of 2024.