Liverpool’s challenging season continues as they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Thursday (AEST). Goals from Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in each half secured the win for the reigning champions, who could have increased their lead at Parc des Princes.
A potentially crucial moment came in added time when PSG appeared to be denied a penalty after Ibrahima Konate fouled Nuno Mendes. Despite the obvious shove, referee Jose Maria Sanchez opted to let play continue, with VAR unusually backing his decision. Ally McCoist, the commentator, expressed disbelief, stating, “It’s a penalty, it’s a shove, it’s daft.”
Liverpool’s strategy relied heavily on defence, yet they struggled to make an impact, failing to register a single shot on target throughout the match. Commentator Steven Gerrard remarked on PSG’s overwhelming performance as “total domination.” Despite being the defending Premier League champions, Liverpool now finds themselves in fifth place, far from the title contention.
The second leg of the tie will be held at Anfield next week. In an interesting development elsewhere in Europe, Atletico Madrid managed to upset Barcelona with a 2-0 victory at the Camp Nou, aided by Pau Gubarsi’s red card before halftime. Julian Alvarez capitalised on a free kick to score, and Alexander Sorloth added to Atletico’s lead in the second half.
As Liverpool looks to regroup, fans will be hoping for a stronger display in the return fixture against PSG.