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In the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final, Paris Saint-Germain hosted Liverpool at the Parc des Princes. In the first half, Désiré Doué scored to open the scoring, with Liverpool managing only one shot in the first 45 minutes. Paris led 1-0 at halftime. In the second half, Joao Neves provided an assist, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia doubled the lead. Ultimately, Paris defeated Liverpool 2-0. The second leg between the two teams will take place at Anfield on April 14.
Key Statistics
Passing Domination
Statistics show that Vitinha completed 65 passes in the first half alone, while Liverpool's entire team managed only 82 passes in total. After the full-time whistle, he became the only player in the past 10 years to complete over 130 passes with a success rate exceeding 95% in a Champions League knockout match.
Liverpool's Poor Offensive Performance
- According to statistics, Liverpool set several unwanted records in this match:
- Lowest expected goals (xG) total (0.18) in Premier League and Champions League matches since the 2022/23 season
- Lowest possession percentage (26%) in a Champions League match since records began in the 2003/04 season
- First time failing to register a single shot on target in a Champions League match since November 25, 2020
- First time failing to create a clear scoring chance in a Champions League match since March 15, 2023
Kvaratskhelia > Liverpool
Kvaratskhelia not only scored in the match but also has contributed 9 goals and 4 assists in his last 13 Champions League appearances. He alone managed 7 shots in this match, while Liverpool's entire team had just 3 shots combined.
Post-Match Player and Manager Interviews
About the Match
Arne Slot: “Looking back at the entire match, I think we were lucky to only lose 0-2. The first goal was tough to take, but the team still retains hope of advancing. We will return to Anfield for the second leg, and we know how special Anfield can be for us.”
Luis Enrique: “I think this result is well-deserved. The match was very difficult and intense, especially the first half, while we created many opportunities in the second half. Unfortunately, I think we could have scored one more goal, but that's football—you have to accept it.”
Dominik Szoboszlai: “It was obviously a difficult night for Liverpool. This match was extremely tough; we faced a top-quality team, but there are still 90 minutes left in the second leg, and we still believe we can turn this around. I think I can say this on behalf of everyone—on behalf of Liverpool Football Club, the fans, but most importantly, on behalf of the entire team and our head coach.”
About Liverpool's Switch to a Five-Defender Formation
Arne Slot: "They have speed in every position across the field—all extremely fast players. Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes—along with other players, these two pose terrifying attacking threats. So we deployed Jeremie Frimpong and Kostas Tsimikas to mark them, which was the original intention of the formation change. I wanted to implement high-intensity pressing with this formation because players like Frimpong and Tsimikas... When you press Hakimi and Mendes, they start, sprint... not just sprint, but beyond sprint speed—you have to handle this intensity.
Generally speaking, Frimpong and Tsimikas are better suited to handle these situations than pure wingers, but we also saw that every time we tried high-intensity pressing, we were completely broken through. I think we gave away five or six excellent opportunities to the opposition when we pressed high. This shows how difficult it is to play against this team. We tried high pressing with these players, and when we retreated, we increased the number of defenders on the field to enhance intensity and tackling. In the second half, you could also see that bringing on Joe Gomez could strengthen our set-piece capabilities."
About the Second Leg
Achraf Hakimi: “I think they will come out all guns blazing with the support of their home fans and put us under pressure. I think Liverpool will adjust their tactics—after all, they are now behind on aggregate, they will strengthen their attack, and we must be prepared to deal with that. We will strive to maintain the excellent form we have shown in recent matches.”
Virgil van Dijk: “We should not forget that we are facing the reigning European champions. I hope our fans will also play an important role in this. I have experienced many special matches at Anfield, and I feel very lucky and honored to have done so. The fans are the backbone of the club.”
