On Tuesday evening, Paris Saint-Germain defeated Liverpool 2-0 (4-0 on aggregate) in the second leg of their 2025-2026 Champions League quarter-final at Anfield. Here are the highs and lows of this victory.
Highs –
Third semi-final in three years, PSG more than ever among the elite
Even in a match where Paris often played the ball out from the back in a somewhat haphazard fashion, with sloppy passing and poor ball control, not to mention the weather conditions which didn’t help them settle into a more controlled game, Paris still managed to prevail. They kept a clean sheet and dominated for much of the match, so we’ll see this impressive team in the semi-finals where they will face a formidable opponent.
Dembélé
Despite needing to score in the first half to prevent Liverpool from getting back into the game, he never gave up and, once again, proved decisive at the crucial moment. His mentality is spot-on, his quality is undeniable, and he’s one of the key players for this PSG side that strikes fear into everyone else.
In no particular order – Safonov, Marquinhos, Pacho
If Paris didn’t concede a goal, much is thanks to this trio. Safonov was excellent and decisive, just like his defensive partners. Pacho made a difficult match seem much easier. Always quick to win his duels, he, like Marquinhos, was a key player during Liverpool’s mini-storm. While Paris has a strong midfield, its attacking defense is clearly no longer a threat to the competition.
Flops –
Doué/Nuno Mendes forced off with injury
It’s never good news to leave a match of this caliber injured, especially at this point in the season. We hope it’s nothing serious, but once again this season, PSG is going through a rough patch that’s giving Luis Enrique a headache. With an already depleted squad, they can’t afford any more problems before playing Real Madrid or Bayern Munich.
Less technical quality: inaccurate passing, poor distribution
We would have liked the team to avoid giving the ball away to Liverpool in difficult moments. The Parisians were a bit slow in all areas during the second half (or at least part of it), and this slowness allowed Liverpool to play on the front foot. PSG’s strategy wasn’t the right one to create some breathing room, even if, in the end, their quality made the difference.
