Liverpool v PSG: João Neves key to Paris reaching Champions semis | OneFootball

PSG are getting ever closer to a Champions League ‘back-to-back title’, and the first step in the Parisians’ attempt to win back the lucrative competition was to repeat the formula from the first leg of the quarter-finals. After a 2-0 win in the French capital, Luis Enrique’s side went to Anfield and beat Liverpool in the second leg by exactly the same scoreline.

As expected, the Reds approached the home clash with a different attitude and did not make things easy for PSG, who had João Neves on the pitch, while Gonçalo Ramos - who was recently the hero - started on the bench. With the obligation to win, the English side tried several approaches to the box, but only once managed to create real danger in the first half, in an open-play move involving both centre-backs, Konaté and Van Dijk, which brought out the best in Safonov.

It was a somewhat unusual first half because it featured two forced substitutions, the first of Ekitiké (who appears to have suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon, ruling him out of the 2026 World Cup) and then Nuno Mendes, who went off complaining of pain in his right thigh.

Salah benefited from his teammate’s misfortune, having once again started the match on the bench. But the Egyptian did not make the difference, although he was involved in the move that would become important: a penalty awarded for a foul by Pacho on Mac Allister, just after the hour mark. However, after being invited to review the incident, the Italian referee overturned the decision, in a debatable call.

Despite the adrenaline surge, Liverpool did not give up, and Rio Ngumoha had a chance at his feet that could have produced the goal to make Anfield erupt. But Safonov came up big again, embodying the spirit of this PSG side: even when they do not smother their opponents, they deliver an excellent defensive performance, with the centre-backs and midfielders standing out, and João Neves once again catching the eye.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.