On Wednesday evening, Paris Saint-Germain defeated Liverpool 2-0 in the first leg of their 2025-2026 Champions League quarter-final (second leg on April 14) at the Parc des Princes. Here are the highs and lows of this victory.
Highs –
Control.
We know PSG likes to have possession of the ball, but we saw something different here. The Parisians sometimes seemed capable of attacking more quickly, attempting a shot, but the priority was to maintain control of the match. Liverpool was never able to impose their rhythm or string together a series of chances. The English side was rarely dangerous. Meanwhile, PSG managed to accelerate at times and cause significant problems.
Paris didn’t play to score at all costs, but rather to win convincingly without allowing the opposition to launch counter-attacks. This was achieved with midfielders João Neves (21), Vitinha (26), and Warren Zaïre-Emery (20) dominating the midfield.
William Pacho.
The 24-year-old defender continues to be a rock. He knows how to stifle the opposition, cover space in behind, and remain calm at all times. This is especially true in his distribution, where he has improved significantly at PSG. Impressive.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
How can you not be a fan of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the 25-year-old striker who is as agile as he is combative? He created chances, battled under pressure, defended bravely and intelligently, and then scored a beautiful goal. A special player.
Flops –
Inefficiency…including Ousmane Dembélé.
It’s crazy to say this about a quarter-final against Liverpool, but this 2-0 scoreline is a bit frustrating. PSG had chances to extend their lead. No big deal, you can’t always score everything. We have to be satisfied with the victory, especially since it was a good one. But being clinical is also a plus. In that respect, Ousmane Dembélé (28 years old) disappointed. The rest of his match, while not bad, wasn’t very satisfying either. But he’s still human; nobody’s perfect all the time.
