Match report: Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 Liverpool

Parc des Princes did not witness the rout that even Liverpool might have privately feared but the gulf in quality between Paris Saint-Germain and Arne Slot’s side was laid bare throughout the Champions League quarter-final. Liverpool leave Paris with hope, having arrived with none, but will require a dramatic recovery just to lay a glove on the European champions at Anfield next Tuesday.

A fortunate, deflected strike from Désiré Doué and a superb second from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia gave the holders a deserved first leg advantage and it could so easily have been more. Ousmane Dembélé missed a hat-trick of openings, his final effort striking the outside of a post, while Nuno Mendes and Doué were also guilty of failing to punish vulnerable opponents.

A reason for Liverpool optimism., They’ve scored 24 goals in their last seven home games: 6-0, 4-1, 1-2, 3-0, 5-2, 1-1, 4-0.

A reason for Liverpool pessimism. None of those games were against Paris Saint-Germain.

Remember the chance Ousmane Dembele had to make it Barcelona 4-0 Liverpool in 2019? You never know, PSG may regret some of the chances they missed in the last 15 minutes. They had to settle for two goals, a deflected shot from Desire Doue and a downright erotic dance from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

90+2 min “I’m at peace with this,” says Paul Griffin, punching the wall when nobody is looking. “It’s part of the order of things. A strange and beautiful decline. Like mid-70s Stones. Let’s just leave the field to the oligarchs, magnates and power brokers and pretend it’s football.”

90+1 min Nuno Mendes goes on a barnstorming run, away from Konate and into the area. Konate puts a hand on Mendes’s back and Mendes goes flying. The referee isn’t interested. It’s being checked by VAR and this could well be given.

Nope, no penalty! Crikey, Konate has dodged one there. And he’d have been sent off as well because he wasn’t trying to play the ball.

90 min Three minutes of added time. Liverpool have brought on Trey Nyoni for Jeremie Frimpong.

88 min: PSG substitution Dembele is replaced by Lucas Hernandez.

86 min The camera cuts to an impassive Mo Salah, sitting down with his bib still on. That suggests we won’t be seeing him tonight.

85 min Here he goes again, my boy Kvaratskhelia, dancing infield from the left. He tries to twist Frimpong’s blood in the penalty area but gets it wrong for once and Van Dijk sweeps up.

84 min PSG are toying with Liverpool, whose quadruple substitution has yet to have any meaningful impact.

83 min The resulting corner is headed wide by Kvaratskhelia, lurking in front of the near post.

82 min: Good save by Mamardashvili! Hakimi runs onto a return pass from Dembele and hits an early left-foot shot from 17 yards. Mamardashvili gets down smartly to his left to push it away.

81 min Liverpool still haven’t had a shot on target in this game. The stats look pretty ugly – 30 per cent possession, no shots on target – but there have been periods in the game when they’ve done okay. And if they can somehow acracadabra a late goal, anything is possible at Anfield next week.

80 min “Having seen Kvaratshkelia live at the Maradona stadium when playing for Napoli, it came as no surprise to see him score a stunning individual goal,” writes Colum Fordham. “A clear candidate for the Ballon d’Or.”

With his portfolio of goals, he should have his own special award: the Ballon phw’Orrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

(Sorry, it’s been a long day.)

79 min Another menacing PSG break. Kvaratskhelia teases a chip beyond the far post to Lee, who can’t quite control it on the chest as he tries to change direction.

79 min: Quadruple substitution for Liverpool Andy Robertson, Alexander Isak, Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo replace Milos Kerkez, Hugo Ekitike, Dominik Szoboszlai and Florian Wirtz.

Shame you can’t press the red button to hear Mo Salah’s internal monologue right now.

78 min: PSG substitution Lee Kang-in replaces Desire Doue, who scored PSG’s first goal.

77 min “That is the sort of glorious nonsense goal I thought had gone out of style with quaaludes and Christopher Cross,” writes Kári Tulinius. “No wonder he got the nickname Kvaradona.”

76 min Doue sweeps a shot from 20 yards that is blocked by Konate. Liverpool are starting to look leggy.

75 min PSG are playing some terrific stuff now. This is one of the problems of playing against them – it demands a Tetrisish level of defensive concentration that has to catch up with you towards the end of the game.

71 min: No penalty! The referee is invited to go the monitor and he quickly overturns the decision. Konate certainly won the ball with a fine tackle; there’s also an argument that he leaned into Zaire-Emery first. I’m not 100 per cent sure it would have been overturned in the Premier League, but overall it feels like the correct decision.

70 min: Penalty to PSG! Liverpool thought Konate made a clean – and brilliant – last-ditch tackle on Zaire-Emery, but the referee has given a penalty.

Hmm, I can see both sides. I’m not sure it will be overturned.

68 min That really is a delightful goal. Everything was happening so fast, with players moving all over the place, but Kvaratskhelia demonstrated remarkable spatial awareness and the composure of a bomb-disposal expert. He even took another step, after beating the keeper and Gomez, so that Kerkez’s momentum would take him out the way and increase the gap into which Kvaratskhelia could pass the ball.

This guy is a glorious player, who scores goals of unique brilliance. He made a great run off Gravenberch to receive Joao Neves’s brilliant angled pass from the left and move through on goal. He ignored Gravenberch’s challenge from behind – many players would have gone down, then veered away from both Mamardashvili and the wrongfooted Gomez on the six-yard line before passing the ball into the far corner. Wonderful finish.

65 min Before the game Arne Slot said Alexander Isak would be able to play a maximum of around 20 minutes, so we might see him soon.

63 min The tie is intriguingly poised. A 1-0 defeat would be a good result for Liverpool, but they’ll also be mindful of last year’s tie, when they won 1-0 in Paris and still went out.

61 min Fine defending from Gomez, who lunges to block Hakimi’s short-range cross and concede a corner. He’s had a good game.

59 min Mac Allister’s long-range shot hits Pacho in the area. Liverpool enquire about a possible penalty, nothing more than that.

Replays show it hit an elbow that was tucked into Pacho’s body. I say ‘an elbow’, I mean it was Pacho’s right elbow.

58 min Mac Allister exchanges passes with Szoboszlai and is fouled on the edge of the D by Pacho. The referee doesn’t agree.

56 min Here’s an insight for you: next goal’s a big goal!

52 min Hakimi robs Kerkez just outside the area, gets to the byline and tries a pass/cross that is crucially cut out by Gomez. The resulting corner is half-cleared to Hakimi 20 yards out; his shot is about to disturb air traffic control.

51 min A fairly quiet start to the second half. PSG have had some blistering moments but their overall performance hasn’t been at the level they reached last spring. At least not yet.

49 min Ekitike curls well wide from 22 yards after nice play by Wirtz and Szoboszlai. That’s Liverpool’s first attempt at goal in the match.

48 min “Funny that Szoboszlai has a foot with a sweet spot the size of Orkney,” writes Niall Mullen, “because at the weekend he had a blind spot the size and shape of Nico O’Reilly.”

46 min PSG begin the second half in style. Vitinha tries to kick for touch and screws it behind for a Liverpool goalkick.

Half-time reading

45+1 min “Rob, a world away from Paris is the Scottish Highland League clash at Brora tonight, with the home side three points behind leaders Brechin, but with a superior goal difference, and the final round of fixtures to come on Saturday,” writes Simon McMahon. “A win for Brora tonight will likely give them the title, anything else would make Brechin strong favourites. Gotta love football, eh, whether in Paris or Brora.”

45 min: Chance for PSG Dembele is surrounded by Liverpool players on the right side of the area. But he stays calm, assesses his options – there are a few – and guides a fine pass to the unmarked Joao Neves on the edge of the area. He drags a low shot well wide.

44 min There’s been a red card and a goal in the other quarter-final between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. Luke McLaughlin can give you chapter and indeed verse.

42 min Dembele shoots tamely at Mamardashvili from 15 yards after a sensational PSG counter-attack. There isn’t enough time to describe it, as there were five or six players involved, but the precision and penetration were quite beautiful.

39 min Frimpong is flagged offside after running onto Wirtz’s scoop and belting a shot just wide of the far post. We’ve not seen a replay so I don’t know whether the offside call was correct.

38 min A poor clearance from Kerkez goes straight to Kvaratskhelia, who swaggers into the area and tries his luck from a tight angle. It’s too tight, in fact, and the shot ripples the side netting.

36 min “Last season was fun, wasn’t it?” writes Matt Dony. “And come to think of it, 2019-20 wasn’t too shabby. Have to admit I quite enjoyed 2018-19. And, admittedly, many, many other seasons. Let’s just draw a line under this one, though, eh? Roll on 2026-27.”

32 min A snapshot from Kvaratskhelia, near the right edge of the penalty area, is pawed away well by his international colleague Mamardashvili. Good save because Kvaratskhelia too the shot early and Mamardashvili had to dive a long way to his right.

31 min Mac Allister is booked for a late, inept lunge at Doue. No complaints that time.

29 min PSG’s reserve left-back Lucas Hernandez is warming up. Nuno Mendes was down a couple of minutes ago and apparently needed his inhaler.

28 min Gomez is booked for a firm sliding tackle on Doue. He took a lot of the ball but the referee didn’t like it. Replays suggest it was probably a fair tackle.

26 min Passes completed: PSG 163-44 Liverpool.

25 min “Ah, I remember when the Liveblog Dungeon was the Farringdon Bunker,” says Niall Mulle. “I hope your shackles are comfortable, Rob.”

A little snug.

24 min Liverpool have responded well to going a goal down, and Doue’s goal remains the only shot on target at either end. Having the ball is a mixed blessing, though, because PSG look devastating in transition.

21 min That cross from Szoboszlai was a gem, and pinged so nonchalantly on the run. His right foot has a sweet spot the size of Orkney.

20 min A long throw from Gomez is punched behind for a corner by Safonov. The corner is well worked, taken short and then whipped beautifully towards the far post by Szoboszlai. Kerkez arrives late but is beaten to the ball by the fist of Safonov. That’s good goalkeeping because Liverpool had men over.

18 min A slightly better spell for Liverpool. It’s easy to be critical when you’re watching on from the Guardian Liveblog Dungeon, but my word PSG are some team. Whatever team Arne Slot picked, Liverpool were going to be under pressure from the first whistle.

15 min Arne Slot’s decision to switch to a back five made plenty of sense tactically. The problem is the effect it seems to have had on Liverpool’s mindset: they are lacking conviction and intensity, particularly in possession, and resemble a boxer covering up on the ropes. Perhaps conceding that goal will make them start swinging.

13 min Kvararatskhelia, who will miss the second leg if he gets a yellow card tonight, is lucky to escape a booking for a brazen tactical foul on Konate.

The nightmare scenario for Liverpool: Desire Doue has given PSG an early lead. He moseyed over to the left side of the area, turned back onto his right foot and tried his luck with a curler that took a wicked deflection off Gravenberch and looped over the leaping Mamaradashvili.

10 min Doue cracks a left-foot shot from the edge of the area that is well blocked by Szoboszlai.

10 min Liverpool have made a decent start defensively, but when they get the ball they look a bit lost. That must be a mindset thing because there are still some very good creative players on the field.

8 min “What a time for Liverpool to try an entirely new system,” says Niall Mullen. “As a wise man once said: it’s a bold move, let’s see how it works out for them.”

That was Danny Dyer in Human Traffic, right?

6 min Nothing much to report early doors, just lots of PSG possession. And I mean lots: 86 per cent.

3 min In fact, Liverpool are playing with Szobszlai as a false nine, with Ekitike and Wirtz as inside forwards. Interesting.

PSG have settled into the usual pass-and-move groove.

2 min Liverpool are playing with a back five, as predicted by TNT Sports. Wirtz is playing close to Ekitike but on the right-hand side.

1 min Peeeeeeeeeeep peeeeeeeeeeeeeep! Liverpool kick off from left to right as we watch.

On-the-nose pre-match music

“Glad to see Arne is channelling his inner George Graham, who was known on occasion to squash six central defenders into a line-up if the mood took him,” writes Peadar de Burca. “And yet, if was King Ferg who famously used seven defenders in his starting XI against the Gunners in the FA cup back in 2011 and won 2-0. Not that I need to tell you that...”

I was thinking more about Highbury 1990, the alliterative fiasco of the four full-backs.

I actually don’t think this is a particularly defensive team, certainly not if they play a 4-2-3-1. I reserve the right to edit this entry should Liverpool’s formation be closer to 9-0-1.

“I am beset by dread,” writes Joe Pearson, “and not in the ‘I am the law’ kind of way. Although admittedly PSG are giving off ‘You’re next, punk!’ vibes. IYKYK.”

While Arsenal were busy Arsenaling their way to a worthy but dull Bigger Cup quarter-final first leg win at Sporting on Tuesday, the players of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich released the collective handbrake and performed many high-speed donuts, wheel spins and Rockfords as a pleasing counterpoint to the careful mirror-signal-manoeuvring on display at Lisbon’s Estádio José Alvalade.

Like a couple of stolen supercars racing each other around a shopping mall in The Fast and the Furious: Bicester Village, these two European heavyweights massively committed to the bit, not unlike a daily football email bogged down in a laboured motoring metaphor.

“When I see the chances we had, that has to give us confidence that we can score more goals,” whooped Vincent Kompany following a hi-octane Bernabéu white-knuckle ride from which his team emerged deserving winners, even if it was their 40-year-old goalkeeper who took home the gong for player of the match.

TNT Sports reckon Liverpool will start with five at the back. Interesting.

Liverpool (poss 5-3-1-1) Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Gomez, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Wirtz; Ekitike.

Barcelona v Atletico Madrid is tonight’s other Champions League match. Luke McLaughlin is covering that one.

“One from the rumour mill here,” writes Daniel Stauss, “but my best friend’s sister’s boyfriend’s brother’s girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who’s going with a girl who said Slot would get the sack if Liverpool lose today. Any thoughts?”

I guess it’s pretty serious.

Harry Paterson’s preview

This tie could not have come at a worse time for Liverpool. They were on the wrong end of a 4-0 thrashing against Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday, their 15th defeat of the season and their fourth in their past five away games. They beat PSG 1-0 at the Parc des Princes last spring, but a lot has changed in 12 months.

On a more encouraging note, Mohamed Salah, Jeremie Frimpong and Federico Chiesa are available, and the £125m signing Alexander Isak might make his first appearance in the squad since breaking his leg against Tottenham in December.

PSG have a habit of beating English sides in the Champions League. They knocked Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal out of the competition last season, and they swept Chelsea aside last month, winning 8-2 on aggregate. Bradley Barcola picked up an injury in that tie but may return, and Vitinha, João Neves and Nuno Mendes are likely to start having come off the bench in the 3-1 win against Toulouse at the weekend. Prediction: PSG to win the first leg and the tie.

Arne Slot has warned Liverpool will suffer another emphatic defeat should they switch off against Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday evening but believes his toiling team can save their season by going “toe-to-toe” with the European champions.

The pressure on Liverpool and their head coach has intensified following Saturday’s 4-0 capitulation against Manchester City in the quarter-final of the FA Cup. Florian Wirtz disagreed with the captain Virgil van Dijk’s damning assessment that Liverpool “gave up” at the Etihad Stadium, but both the £116m playmaker and Slot admitted there can be no repeat of that performance at Parc des Princes.