Paris Saint-Germain 2 Liverpool 0: Doue excels but was Slot’s tactical switch at fault? Are Liverpool still in it?

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Paris Saint-Germain 2 Liverpool 0: Doue excels but was Slot’s tactical switch at fault? Are Liverpool still in it?

Goals from Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ensured Paris Saint-Germain built a convincing first-leg lead against a Liverpool side that struggled to lay a hand on the European champions. Arne Slot’s side will take limited consolation in the knowledge that it could have been worse, were it not for some erratic fishing from the hosts and a couple of important saves from Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Liverpool lined up with three at the back, which meant Mohamed Salah was reduced to a place on the substitutes’ bench — where he remained for the duration, despite Liverpool chasing the game.

It took only 11 minutes for PSG to take the lead. Ousmane Dembele ran at the centre of the Liverpool defence, was half-tackled but managed to flick the ball out to Doue. The 20-year-old winger feinted left, then checked back onto his right and shot, the ball looping off Ryan Gravenberch’s attempted block and over Mamardashvili into the Liverpool goal.

While Liverpool improved somewhat as the half went on, PSG continued to look dangerous, with Mamardashvili saving from Doue and Dembele after slick approach play.

The pattern was resumed in the second half, as Liverpool’s players worked hard to chase down an at times mesmerising PSG side. Dembele had another great opportunity but shot over and, just when it looked like PSG might regret those misses, they doubled their lead. Joao Neves played a sharp pass into Kvaratskhelia, who stayed on his feet under challenge from Gravenberch. The Georgian winger then held his shot, instead scampering past Mamardashvili before calmly slotting the ball into the net.

It could have been worse for Liverpool. PSG were awarded a penalty when Ibrahima Konate appeared to bring down Warren Zaire-Emery but, after going to the monitor, referee Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez changed his mind. Dembele then smashed against the post from a full-pitch counter-attack.

It still leaves Liverpool facing an almighty challenge when these teams meet again in the second leg at Anfield on April 14.

Gregg Evans, Oliver Kay and Liam Tharme break down the main big talking points.

How good were Doue and Kvaratskhelia?

As much as Liverpool were outpassed and outplayed for long periods at the Parc des Princes, they could just about cope with that.

What they could not cope with, ultimately, was PSG’s quality in wide areas, where Kvaratskhelia and Doue, supported from full-back by Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes, were superb.

Desire Doue tormented Liverpool with his dribbling (Anne-Christine Poujoulat / AFP via Getty Images)

In their different ways, Doue and Kvaratskhelia are a joy to watch. Both are dribblers and entertainers of a type that some would like to tell you don’t exist in today’s game. They are so beguiling on the ball at times, but both have the killer instinct to back it up. Doue’s goal carried an element of fortune, with his shot deflected in off Gravenberch, but Kvaratskhelia’s was another of those slalom runs after he was played into space by Neves midway through the second half.

It is a shame that Kvaratskhelia will not have the opportunity to illuminate the World Cup this summer, with Georgia having failed to qualify, but Doue will hope to do so with France. Competition for places in that France squad is fierce, but with this performance, on the back of two goals in a friendly against Colombia last month, the PSG youngster showed he is hitting form at the right time.

Oliver Kay

Was Slot’s tactical switch at fault?

Switching to a back five from the start was one of the only tactical tweaks Arne Slot had yet to opt for with Liverpool this season. Injuries at right-back, poor form for Salah and big money spent on forwards has meant a lot of reshuffling. This change was to add protection for a leaky defence who had to face the free-scoring European champions away from home.

Virgil van Dijk played at the centre of a back three for Liverpool (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Without ever being great or dominating possession, Liverpool showed the shape might become an effective blueprint for the Premier League. They pressed well and stifled PSG’s deep build-up in the first half. At times, they were pulled around the pitch by PSG’s rotations — they do that to most opponents — and Luis Enrique’s team found space in-behind the centre-backs when Virgil van Dijk and Konate went tight in their marking.

The opening goal from Doue owed to a deflection which was hard to mitigate for, and Liverpool defended the box significantly better than in recent weeks. Slot’s side certainly tired by the hour mark, having been made to run by their hosts. They were carved open too easily for 2-0 as aKvaratskhelia raced through unmarked onto Neves’ through ball.

Liam Tharme

Are Liverpool still in this?

Liverpool now have it all to do in the second leg but, if truth be told, this was expected anyway.

They have to raise the intensity by pressing PSG high from the first minute at Anfield and getting the crowd on side.

Quicker transitions and aggressive counter-pressing will also disrupt PSG’s rhythm and limit their time on the ball, and if the full-backs are going to operate in a similar system, then they must push forward and stretch the pitch.

There was simply not enough of that from Jeremie Frimpong or Milos Kerkez in this tie, but back on home soil, there will be no excuse as the shackles have to come off.

Actually creating chances will be essential, too. Incredibly, Liverpool didn’t have a shot on target in the first half of this game, and very little followed after the break. Granted, Hugo Ekitike had a tough job with little service but whenever he found himself in a dangerous position, he was wasteful. Salah surely can do more in the return leg.

Mohamed Salah was left on the bench (Franck Fife / AFP via Getty Images)

So, as tough as the second leg will be, this is still not over. For large parts, Liverpool showed that they can be compact and well-organised, but like so often this season, there were lapses of concentration that proved costly.

Mamardashvili made three brilliant saves, so inevitably he’ll be needed again. With discipline, belief, and relentless pressure, there’s a chance of turning around the tie, but it’s going to take a superhuman effort.

Gregg Evans

What did Slot say?

“We were in survival mode for periods of the game. Maybe for the period of the season we’re in, we are in survival mode.

“Have you ever seen a team play tactics over here that didn’t allow PSG to have chance after chance after chance? They have been outplaying almost opponent they played here. There are different tactics, but the result is always the same: PSG blowing the opponent away. What if we had played with real wingers today? What would that have looked like against (Achraf) Hakimi and Nuno Mendes?

“Now we bring the tie back to Anfield and we will hopefully show a different game. It’s clear and obvious we won’t play the same tactics as tonight.”

On Salah not being introduced from the bench: “I think in the last part of the game it was more about surviving than thinking we could score. It was a 25 minutes when we were only defending. Mo has so much quality but for Mo to be defending in his own box for 20-25 (minutes), I think it’s better for him to save his energies for the next few weeks.”