FEATURE | Three things we learned as PSG secure first-leg advantage against Liverpool | OneFootball

UEFA Champions League title holders Paris Saint-Germain were up against a familiar opponent as Liverpool travelled to the Parc des Princes for the first leg of their quarter-final. PSG had met them last season in the Round of 16, with the sides needing to be separated on penalties. The match tonight was far less in the balance with PSG securing a comfortable 2-0 lead. 

New shape, new problems for Liverpool

A humiliating 4-0 exit from the FA Cup quarter-finals at the hands of Manchester City, a team they have spent the better part of the last decade going head-to-head with, clearly played an important role in Arne Slot’s decision-making tonight as he swapped away from his usual back four to a back five. The plan was self-evident; Liverpool needed to tighten up after a bruising weekend. 

Liverpool spent a significant portion of the first half set up defending in a low block, but it took PSG only 11 minutes to pick the lock. Despite being surrounded by four players, Doué was able to fire off a shot in a congested box. The red shirts were a touch too slow to close him down, and his shot took just enough of a deflection to beat Giorgi Mamardashvili. 

The problem for Liverpool was that the renewed focus on defense meant that they were desperately light up front, as they were unable to register a single shot in the first half. Their only attempt wouldn’t count as Jeremie Frimpong’s wild attempt was offside. In the second half, their fortune didn’t change much, with Liverpool at least getting shots off, but none of them were on target 

A statement performance from Zaïre-Emery

At twenty years old, Warren Zaïre-Emery became the youngest player to reach 40 Champions League appearances, taking the record from Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham. And it was a night where Le Titi Parisien looked completely at home in the midfield three alongside Vitinha and João Neves. 

At times this season, Les Parisiens have missed the balance Fabián Ruiz brought last season to the midfield trio, with the Spaniard missing large chunks of the current campaign due to injury. However, tonight felt like a coming-of-age moment for Zaïre-Emery as he helped control the flow of the game with impeccable touching, timing, and positioning. 

It was a performance that raises questions for Luis Enrique, and makes you wonder if Zaïre-Emery has sealed his place as a starter over Fabián going forward. 

Liverpool miss Alisson despite PSG lacking a ruthless edge

Last season, Alisson Becker’s performance at the Parc des Princes inspired a wave of think-pieces and analysis. He was out of this world extraordinary. Denying shot after shot, making eight saves on a night where Liverpool would record a smash and grab 1-0 win. Liverpool wouldn’t be able to rely upon his heroics tonight following a hamstring injury last month. 

In his place, Mamardashvili played fine, making some good interventions when called upon, but fine doesn’t feel enough. And fine certainly doesn’t match what Alisson conjured a year ago, as Mamardashvili was beaten twice, once in each half. What makes it a little more concerning for Liverpool is that PSG secured a comfortable lead despite lacking a ruthless edge. 

There were several moments in the second half when PSG burst through on goal, but then were unable to pull the trigger and punish Liverpool’s growing openness. Nuno Mendes, in particular, was left screaming at his own poor touch late in the game, when he likely should have made it 3-0.

GFFN | Nick Hartland