In L’Équipe, Bixente Lizarazu, 56, former Bayern Munich defender, believes that Paris Saint-Germain took another step forward against Liverpool. His analysis aligns with your perspective: Paris dominated from start to finish, but the 2-0 victory leaves a real sense of incompleteness given the gap in quality on the pitch.
Lizarazu: “This is another positive step for PSG”
“Do you see this success as another step in PSG’s rise to prominence, which you noted after the first leg (5-2) and second leg (3-0) of the Champions League round of 16 against Chelsea?”
“Absolutely. This is another positive step for PSG, who had total and absolute control of the match, displaying remarkable technical mastery.” They barely conceded a chance against a disastrous Liverpool side, who tried to park the bus in front of their goal, but without even attempting to play counter-attacks effectively. Nevertheless, I’m still annoyed!
Lizarazu: “The Reds are reeling, and it’s hard to see how they’ll be able to pull themselves out of it in the second leg.”
Why?
Because when you dominate an opponent that much and create so many clear-cut chances, you should win by a much larger margin than 2-0. There was a huge difference in class between the two teams, and PSG should have won 4 or 5-0!
Of course, the Reds are reeling, and it’s hard to see how they’ll manage to pull themselves out of it in the return leg, given how technically incapable they were of competing with the Parisians.
For Bixente Lizarazu, this victory isn’t just about the result, but about what it reveals about the level reached by PSG. Paris imposed its rhythm, its technical mastery, and its collective superiority on an overwhelmed Liverpool, unable to compete consistently. It’s precisely this almost total domination that fuels his frustration. In his view, a match so dominated should have produced a much heavier scoreline, as the Reds seemed to be under constant pressure without any real response.
The 2-0 scoreline validates the Parisian performance, but it doesn’t fully reflect the difference seen on the pitch. In Lizarazu’s eyes, PSG confirms its rise to European prominence, with this rare paradox: emerging stronger from a great night while leaving the impression of not having fully punished its opponent. The message is clear: when a clear victory against Liverpool nevertheless provokes The frustration often stems from the fact that expectations have shifted. Paris is no longer content with simply winning these kinds of events; it is beginning to create the impression that it can crush them.
