From our special correspondent at Anfield,
The hell promised by the Reds from the first moments of the Champions League quarter-final return between Liverpool and PSG (0-2), at Anfield, was in fact a damp squib. Or rather a time bomb, because we must credit the Scousers for having half kept their promise in the second half. But Arne Slot, whose plan was to “steal the ball (from the Parisians) and press” from the kick-off, first had to bow to the malice of Luis Enrique before taking control of the match.
Because the pressure in this match was initially Parisian, and the first to take on the water on Tuesday evening were the supporters soaked by the pouring and freezing rain. Paris then knew how to make itself small, with a few cold sweats, while waiting for the usual flash of its Ballon d’Or to clean up the mess. This is how, in summary, PSG beat Liverpool 2-0 and secured their third consecutive qualification for the Champions League semi-finals.
Reds still scandalous until Salah’s entry
If the Parisians initially pulled the rug out from under the Reds by imposing their signature counterpressing, they above all sought to maintain their safety distance of two goals by controlling the game to prevent it from getting out of hand. English-style scenarios, as we know, can quickly go to hell. Luis Enrique once again chose to densify the midfield to parasitize Szoboszlai and Mac Allister in their mission to supply the Ekitike-Isak duo, with some success. Joao Neves, Vitinha and Warren Zaire-Emery, often helped by Doué and Kvara, did the job, and Liverpool did not exist for a good twenty minutes.
In fact, we had to wait for the unfortunate stretcher exit of Hugo Ekitike and the entry into play of Mo Salah – his last Champions League match with Liverpool – to shake up the locals. Considering Alexander Isak’s 45 minutes, we even wonder how the Egyptian was unable to start the match. From his first catch, Salah panicked the Parisian defense before serving Kerkez perfectly in the area, and it took a double miracle from Safonov then Marquinhos to prevent the new entrant from being decisive on his first ball (32nd). In the Mo Salah delicacies category, we will also remember his caviar harvested by Kerkez (56th).
Wounds, a storm then deliverance
The change in the appearance of the match and the freedom of the Egyptian on his left side are due to another injury, that of Nuno Mendes at the end of the first period. And as if that wasn’t enough, PSG continued its unlucky series by losing Désiré Doué (51st), sent into the barriers by the very vicious Dominik Szoboszlai, who had spent his first period harassing him to get into his brain. It was finally by running into him that he took him out of the match.
The injuries, combined with the pressure imposed by the Reds and the gradual disappearance of the Parisian midfielder made us believe, for around twenty minutes, in an ultimately complicated scenario. But the Parisians held on thanks to a monstrous hinge and a constantly improving Matvey Safonov – what a save in front of Ngumoha in the 70th! – until Ousmane Dembélé delivered a powerful left-footed shot from mid-distance. A goal out of nowhere whose opportunism disgusted the entire stadium, our English colleagues seated next to us first.
Next stop, Munich or Madrid
What could be more Dembélesque, after all, than succeeding in the hardest part after having missed a number of infinitely simpler gestures on Tuesday evening. At 1-0, the hardest part was done. For the sake of symmetry, the Parisians said that a second was not an option, and, following a well-executed action by Vitinha, Kvaratskhelia and Barcola, Dembouz was able to score a double. After Chelsea, Liverpool takes the door. The English side of PSG in C1 is closing (for the moment). The next destination will be German or Spanish.
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