What Went Awry for Liverpool in Their Attempt to Overcome a UCL Deficit Against PSG

Last season, the Reds pushed PSG to penalties at their historic ground, but this time, the French side came in fresh and focused after being given a weekend off by Ligue 1 officials.

Szoboszlai ready for the challenge

Liverpool secured a 2-0 victory against Fulham in the Premier League over the weekend, and with Dominik Szoboszlai stating in his pre-match interview that he was “ready to give everything” for his team to progress to the semis, it was evident that the visitors would need to put in a substantial effort to maintain their advantage from the first leg.

The Hungarian midfielder has been instrumental for Liverpool in this season’s UCL, boasting five goals, three of which were opening strikes, making him the standout performer.

Facing PSG, famed for their explosive attacking style and having scored in their last seven European matches in the 2025/26 season, the Reds knew they had to stay resolute, given that Young Boys was the last club to keep PSG off the scoresheet.

As the night unfolded, something had to give, with Liverpool winning four and suffering just one defeat in their UCL home fixtures this season, while PSG had also performed well away, winning four, drawing one, and losing one match.

Arne Slot opted for a significant change in his starting line-up, bringing in Alexander Isak for Joe Gomez. Would this be the moment for the Swedish forward to shine on the European stage?

Isak’s on-target header in the seventh minute marked Liverpool’s first attempt at goal, while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Vitinha, and Warren Zaire-Emery had already tested the Reds’ defence.

In a lively contest, both teams frequently threatened each other’s goals, though many shots were either blocked or went wide of the target.

Ibrahima Konate was undoubtedly amongst the most active players, boasting a perfect tackle success rate, which was crucial in preventing PSG from extending their lead early on.

Ekitike suffers serious injury

The French defender completed six clearances during the match, significantly more than any other outfield player from Liverpool.

Current Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele may be questioning how he failed to score from just outside the six-yard box when he had only Giorgi Mamardashvili to beat, but he ultimately made a vital impact on the match before the full-time whistle.

The hosts faced a detrimental setback halfway through the first half when Dembele’s fellow international teammate Hugo Ekitike collapsed without any contact from another player and required a stretcher.

Mohamed Salah took Ekitike’s place and, despite registering 14 touches in the PSG area throughout the next hour—more than any other player—he could only manage one off-target shot as his contribution.

Vitinha controls the game

Although PSG were somewhat more restrained than usual, midfielder Vitinha consistently controlled the rhythm of their offensive play.

With 60 total passes, 50 of which were accurate, his distribution outperformed that of his teammates, despite an 83.3% passing success rate being lower than his usual standard.

By the end of the first half, neither team had broken the deadlock, but for Liverpool to advance, they needed more involvement from players like Isak, who had only touched the ball five times up to that point.

Arne Slot decided to make a change at halftime, substituting Isak for Cody Gakpo.

Reds dominate second half

The Dutch substitute certainly brought more energy, although he too was only able to muster a single shot on target shortly after his arrival, despite showing promise.

Winning three of five one-on-one battles was crucial as Liverpool faced some tight situations, but at times, there seemed to be a lack of aggression towards attack.

In the opening 15 minutes of the second half, Liverpool commanded 79% of possession and spent 44.7% of that time in PSG’s defensive third.

Six goal attempts were made that either missed the target or were blocked, but as the clock ticked down to the final 30 minutes, Liverpool still lacked the crucial goal to turn the tie in their favour.

Dembele seals the deal

A penalty that was later overturned by VAR epitomised Liverpool’s frustrating evening; nonetheless, they kept PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov on high alert, forcing him into six saves throughout the match.

Virgil van Dijk delivered a commendable captain’s performance, winning four of his six duels and maintaining a perfect tackle rate; however, he and his defence were helpless when Dembele chose his target with 18 minutes remaining, essentially putting the tie out of reach for the hosts.

To Liverpool’s credit, they continued to push for a comeback, but their tally of only five shots on target from 21 attempts fell short of the standard required at this level.

In stark contrast, PSG recorded six shots on target out of 12 attempts, marking the most that Liverpool have conceded in a single UCL match this season.

Dembele’s late second goal during injury time further compounded the home side’s misery, leaving them grappling with a fight to secure a place in European competitions as they conclude a challenging season.