PSG rebrand could end with elusive Champions League glory | OneFootball

Paris Saint-Germain’s quest to conquer Europe has been more than a decade of near misses and shattering disappointments.

Since Qatari investment transformed the French side into a powerhouse overnight, PSG have tried and failed to get their hands on the trophy coveted more than any other.

Superstars have come and gone. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was arguably the first headline arrival. The Swede was soon joined by Edinson Cavani and Angel Di Maria.

Later, in 2017, the Parisians smashed the world transfer record to bring in Neymar from Barcelona, distorting the landscape of the transfer market forevermore. That same summer, a fresh-faced Kylian Mbappe joined from AS Monaco in a deal eventually worth 180 million euros. Lionel Messi, the record eight-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, joined forces with Neymar and Mbappe in 2021 but it was a constellation of attacking talent that never gelled.

Mbappe’s exit for Real Madrid on a free transfer last summer was deemed a huge blow to the Parisian project. Frustrated with a failure to win the Champions League after a runners-up finish and two semi-finals in his time at the Parc des Princes, Mbappe signed for the serial winners in search of success. Now, however, his former side might just be the favourites to dethrone his current club as European champions.

Paris Saint-Germain’s elimination of Liverpool feels like a statement. After the devastation of a smash-and-grab defeat in the French capital a week earlier, PSG went to Anfield and won. On the 39 previous occasions that Liverpool had won the away leg of a European tie, the Reds had progressed. Here, at one of European football’s most famous and intimidating venues, PSG ended that run.

Ousmane Dembele’s incredible 2025 continued with the all-important goal, one that forced extra time and an eventually successful shootout. PSG could have been out of sight before then. By half-time, PSG had created a higher xG than any visiting team at Anfield this season. Liverpool had chances of their own, but a PSG team that has wilted in past seasons held firm, led by Marquinhos. The Brazilian signed for PSG over a decade ago and has been through all the peaks and troughs of the modern regime. Few crave Champions League success more than him.

Further forward, Luis Enrique’s decision to swap the combativeness of Manuel Ugarte for the control of Joao Neves was the right one. The 20-year-old was billed as a star of the future but is one for the here and now.

Bradley Barcola is another beneficiary of PSG’s refocus. Amid a desire to sign the best young talent in France and further afield, he was plucked from Lyon. This season, he’s stepped out of the shadow of more senior teammates.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia arrived from Napoli in January with a big reputation and price tag. He’s looked instantly at home. The Georgian’s gliding gait and close control defies his height and frame and, at 24, his ceiling may not yet have been reached.

Dembele completes a front three that tormented the Premier League leaders over two legs. Injuries have prevented him from reaching the heights once expected – until now. Unstoppable during the calendar year, his redeployment to a central role has been a masterstroke from Luis Enrique.

Enrique will not get carried away, but he will know this was a significant step for his team. Liverpool are runaway leaders in a domestic league often billed as the most competitive in Europe. In the Champions League this season, the Reds had rarely been troubled on route to progress as league phase winners.

The days of a disjointed PSG are gone. This is a side full of energy, synchronisation and, above all, talent. Only Red Bull Salzburg and Sturm Graz have named a younger side in the Champions League this season. PSG have rebranded to a long-term project that, already this early, looks capable of bearing fruit. On the evidence of the Round of 16, few will fancy facing the French champions in the latter stages.

Read – Enrique says ‘both teams deserve to qualify’ as Liverpool crash out

See more – Is Liverpool’s European exit the end of Salah’s Ballon d’Or dream?

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