Paris: 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 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 last weekend.
It is just one win in six in all competitions for Liverpool, and this was a 16th reverse in total in a difficult campaign. “We were in survival mode for large parts of the game, and maybe also we are in survival mode at this period of the season,” said coach Arne Slot.
“It is really, really hard against this team -- PSG was the better team, but we didn’t give up and that is why we still have a chance in this tie.” Slot’s team must 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.
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.
