Liverpool v Paris Saint-Germain A Liverpool Perspective
Slot has been brilliant this season, but the lack of squad players that he trusts came back to bite him in this match. The big run of games in a short space of time with little to no rotation has run the players into the ground and sapped their energy. When they needed to raise their game and attack a team there for the taking, they had nothing left in their legs. I also think Slot’s substitutions were poor and far too late in this game, making the wrong changes and leaving it so late that the team had run out of legs anyway.
It did start so well, with Liverpool overrunning PSG in the early few minutes of the match, on another day they would have scored enough goals to win the game comfortably. In fact they made more really good chances, rather than just good quality strikes from distance, in those first ten minutes than I can remember PSG making in the entire tie. That is what makes it so frustrating to lose, as Liverpool had the chances to have it won and done before the Parisians scored.
A lot did come down to that PSG goal, as Liverpool had dominated until that moment but that saw the energy drain out of them and the high, aggressive press they had been using so successfully to pen Paris in during the opening minutes faded. The players lost all cohesion in the press, lacking the adrenalin that they had been running on to begin with. Instead, you could see them struggling with tiredness and they felt every one of those 5 games in 15 days.
What was needed was an injection of energy from the bench at half-time, some fresh legs and running to take the game back to PSG, but Slot waited. He seems to lack faith in the options that were on the bench to change things. After two transfer windows at the club, where nothing was done to strengthen the options, it finally caught up with the team. Thankfully, the team was still strong enough to be in with an extremely good chance of two trophies, something every Liverpool fan would have been happy with before the season began.
Paris Saint-Germain
Once again they struggled to create clear cut chances, but that was more down to the set up Enrique went with. I know Dembele is the new flavour of the month right now, but his unwillingness to put effort in and make runs into the box left them bereft of any option in the middle to put the ball into. All he needed to do was get into the box, but he was usually strolling around somewhere in midfield. That was what cost them badly, not having a focal point to create for.
Personally I was disappointed with PSG, this was a very tired Liverpool side, reeling after going one down and they were completely unable to take advantage. They should have been looking to win that game in normal time, but they seemed content to ensure they did not concede. It was a very odd performance, especially considering most of their team had rested over the weekend to be ready but they did not really make the most of their freshness.
Liverpool
Alisson – unfortunately could not replicate his heroics from the first leg by saving any of the penalties but had made a couple of decent saves during the match.
Alexander-Arnold – had a good game which was getting better as the match went on. I would say though, he was probably trying a bit too hard to make things happen. Unfortunate to pick up an injury, which could cost Liverpool badly over the final few weeks of the season.
Konate – overall it was a good game, but his horrible error cost the team. It was idiotic. Why try and control it to the keeper there? Just get it clear and reset. The fact they got there in the first place was down to him getting his positioning wrong, he was way too far to the right anyway, which left a gap. Even though the rest of his game was very good, that was such a horrendous passage of play that it meant he had a poor game in actuality. A defender is there to keep the ball out of the net and he failed to do so at the only point of the game PSG truly threatened.
van Dijk – overall a very good game, but there were a couple of times he was caught on his heels busy shouting and directing his teammates and not noticing an attack immediately. He has become an excellent captain, as well as centre-back, but he does need to learn from that and save the instructions until an appropriate time.
Robertson – defensively he was passable, not great but at least he did nothing stupid or rash. It was offensively that he was truly woeful. It took him over 90 minutes before he produced any half decent quality balls into the box at all. He did make a few good runs and linked up will with Diaz at times, only to mess up good opportunities to get the ball across almost every time.
Gravenberch – he really struggled as the game went on and showed clear signs of fatigue, it was a surprise he was not taken off. His whole game is very reliant on his physical abilities, which are not anywhere near their previous levels. He just looks in need of a break, with the lack of rotation really affecting him now. Slot will need to find someone he trusts to play in his stead if the team are going to mount a challenge for every trophy next season.
Szoboszlai – started well but faded as the game went on and it was clear his energy levels dropped massively as he was unable to maintain a press after the early stages.
Mac Allister – Liverpool’s man of the match, with only Alexander-Arnold rivalling his performance. Put himself about really well and showed a lot of energy, was one of the few bright spots on the ball too.
Salah – early balls to him showed a lot of promise, but he was finding himself short of support, which required him to take more touches than he would have wanted. That allowed PSG to get midfielders across to cover, particularly Vitinha, who did really well in covering when Mendez got forward, similar to how Milner used to do for Robertson in the past. Before the midfield did that, in the early part of the game, Salah was running havoc and Liverpool created enough chances to put the game to bed.
Jota – an absolutely terrible game. It is hard to understand how he stayed on the pitch longer than the first few minutes. He was abysmal. The ball was bouncing off him, he was too slow and sloppy in the press and offered nothing until he was taken off. By that time it was too late, as the whole team looked finished.
Diaz – another who was terrible. It just shows how little Slot rates Chiesa that he left him stinking up the left wing for so long. His delivery was appalling, despite numerous good chances to put a ball into dangerous areas. One decent ball could have changed that game, but everything he touched was poor.
Nunez – replaced Jota in the 73rd minute. He should have come on much sooner, when there was still some energy left in the legs of the team. By the time he came on, the team was so tired that he was never going to get any real service and his high energy pressing was not possible, as everyone else was too slow to back up the press.
Quansah – came on for the injured Alexander-Arnold in the 74th minute. Did a decent job, got forward well and tried to make a difference. He looked a lot more comfortable in the right-back role than he has done previously.
Jones – was brought on in the stead of Mac Allister at the start of extra time. There was no energy left in the rest of the team by the time he came on. He replaced the one guy who had actually been playing well and showing a bit of energy as well. He was well off the pace and caught on the ball repeatedly. I am sure he was trying to be calm and composed and help to control the pace of the game, but all he did was dally on the ball and lose it.
Gakpo – took Diaz’s place in the 101st minute. He is clearly not fit and offered nothing.
Elliott – replaced Szoboszlai in the 106th minute. Too late for him to do anything, the game was done at this point.
Endo – he came on in the place of the injured Konate in the 111th minute. Same as Elliott, there was little he could do to change the game, especially at centre-back.
Written by Tris Burke March 15 2025 08:06:44
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