PSG 2-0 Liverpool: Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia hand Champions League holders first leg advantage | OneFootball

Reds fail to register a shot on target in the Parc des Princes

Liverpool's Champions League hopes look bleak after Paris Saint-Germain ran out deserved 2-0 victors against Arne Slot's stumbling side in the quarter-final first leg in France.

Liverpool's humiliating 4-0 FA Cup exit at Manchester City increased the pressure on Slot and his side ahead of the trip to Paris, where Desire Doue's deflected early effort and an excellent Khvicha Kvaratskhelia goal secured victory.

Liverpool showed spirit - something captain Virgil van Dijk felt they lacked at the Etihad Stadium - but were outclassed throughout by a PSG side who are well placed to win a fifth straight two-legged tie against English opposition.

"Tonight awaken the Hulk within you," implored fans in a banner under an image of the superhero in PSG colours ripping apart the Liverpool badge as the teams emerged at a pulsing Parc des Princes.

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Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones were replaced by Jeremie Frimpong and Alexis Mac Allister as Slot plumped for a back three that the hosts probed from the outset and took 11 minutes to breach via a large slice luck.

Doue had started with confidence and was afforded time to get away a hopeful effort that deflected off Ryan Gravenberch and looped over Mamardashvili.Liverpool did not unravel after that early setback but offered little by way of meaningful threat as PSG showed their qualities in and out of possession.

Mamardashvili stopped a deflected Kvaratskhelia strike finding the bottom corner with a strong hand and spread himself well when Doue was put in by Nuno Mendes shortly after.

Kvaratskhelia lasered into the side-netting as the Parisians continued to knock at the door, with the Liverpool goalkeeper denying a tame Ousmane Dembele effort at the end of a well-worked attack.

Joao Neves dragged wide at the end of a half in which Liverpool failed to register a shot, although Frimpong did slam just across the face of goal before offside was called.

Hugo Ekitike ballooned wide their first shot of the evening shortly after the restart but the pattern of play remained the same, as did PSG's finishing.

Dembele thrashed over a glorious chance when found unmarked around the edge of the box after Mac Allister's awful header gifted the hosts possession.

But Liverpool's luck ran out in the 65th minute as a fine move ended with a moment of individual quality.

Neves brilliantly slipped in Kvaratskhelia and the Georgian magician shook off Gravenberch and took the ball around Mamardashvili before patiently firing home.

Things looked set to go from bad to worse for Liverpool just five minutes later. Jose Maria Sanchez pointed to the spot for Ibrahima Konate's challenge on Warren Zaire-Emery, only for the referee to be sent to the pitchside monitor by the VAR and overturn the decision.

Ineffective Florian Wirtz saw a shot blocked before being withdrawn as part of a quadruple change that saw Salah overlooked.

Mamardashvili was called into action by Achraf Hakimi and rifled off the near post as PSG looked to add gloss, with Mendes wasting a glorious late chance before Liverpool survived a penalty check.

The fact Slot brought on Trey Nyoni instead of Salah in stoppage time provided more questions than answers as Liverpool's meek performance left them needing another famous Anfield night next week.