‘We were in survival mode’ – Slot on defeat to PSG and decision not to bring on Mo Salah | OneFootball

Arne Slot admits his Liverpool side were lucky not to concede more in their 2-0 defeat to PSG.

Liverpool will have to overcome a huge task in the second leg of their Champions League quarter final if they are to progress after goals from Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Slot opted not to bring Mo Salah off the bench despite his side trailing in Paris and explaining the decision, he said: “I think in the last part of the game, it was more about surviving for us than the chance of us scoring.

“You never know, because last season we scored five minutes before the end, Harvey Elliott when I took Mo off.

“But I think this was 20/25 minutes where we were only defending.

“Mo has so many qualities but for Mo to be 20 or 25 minutes defending inside his own box, I think it’s better for him to save his energy for the games that are coming up in the upcoming weeks.”

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Slot’s side failed to manage a shot on target in the game and the Dutchman admits his team were in “survival mode” for much of the 90 minutes.

“Of course that’s not the plan,” he said. “Of course you think you can do better and when you press them high you can force them into mistakes but I think the way you describe it is maybe the perfect way.

“We were in survival mode for large parts of the game. But maybe also in the period of the season we are in, we are in survival mode.

“We can try to make sure that their qualities are not seen that much but that’s really hard against this team because last season over here we were also in survival mode as well.

“But as I said, PSG were the better team. But we didn’t give up and that’s why we have a chance, we’re still in this tie.

“They kept us alive by not scoring a few open chances and now we can bring the tie back to Anfield.”

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