The odds were stacked against PSG, barring the two-goal advantage, when the defending champions took the field against a defiant ( at least in words) Liverpool at Anfield last night.
I was expecting a similar line-up to the one which Liverpool had fielded against Fulham at the weekend, but Arne Slot sprung a surprise. He benched Salah ( who looked sharp against Fulham) and had both Ekitike and a rusty Alexander Isak to start with. It is a good old saying that ‘ never change a winning combination ‘, and so the Reds paid.
PSG had their winning line-up on the pitch, which helped them survive. The champions were good in the first half with Dembele, Kavartskhelia and Desire Doue putting pressure on the Liverpool defence. Dembele missed a couple of good chances, but with Liverpool playing in a cagey manner, the first half went goalless, which was also well in PSG’s favour.
The second half saw Liverpool play brilliantly and lay siege on the PSG goal, but the Frenchmen defended equally well to deny the Reds. Arne Slot made quick substitutions, but he had missed the bus already. Liverpool just couldn’t score.
Ousmane Dembele then produced a moment of magic late in the second half, as he ripped one past the Liverpool defence to score an incredible goal, which snuffed out the fight from Liverpool. That one goal was enough to do the job, but the Ballon d’Or winner combined superbly with Bradley Barcola on the break and ensured a composed finish to make it 2-0 for PSG and 4-0 on aggregate to record an emphatic victory for the visitors, as rain poured at Anfield.
PSG, marshalled by Luis Enrique, was the better side and deserved to win and qualify for the semi-finals. Liverpool played well in patches, tried their best, but were short of both strategy and belief.
Liverpool’s exit from the Champions League means that the decorated club will finish the season without any silverware. It has been an up-and-down season for them. The focus will now shift to the remaining few games of the EPL. I hope Liverpool finish on a high as Mo Salah and Andy Robertson bid goodbye.
A word for Ousmane Dembele. An Exceptional player.
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