Liverpool’s Champions League campaign ended in heartbreak after a penalty shootout defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16. Despite a valiant effort, Arne Slot’s side couldn’t withstand the brilliance of PSG’s star attackers like Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola, who constantly threatened Liverpool’s backline.
The Reds had entered the second leg with a 1-0 advantage, thanks to a resilient display in Paris where Alisson Becker made nine crucial saves to keep Liverpool in the tie. However, the French champions showed their quality at Anfield, with Kylian Mbappe leading the attack and Vitinha dominating the midfield battle against Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Liverpool expert David Lynch believes this defeat should not be viewed as a missed opportunity. He pointed out that, unlike the 2019-20 season when Liverpool, with Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold at their peak, were the best team in Europe but lost to Atletico Madrid, this season was more about rebuilding under Slot.
One of the key issues Liverpool faced was their struggle to escape PSG’s intense press. The Reds often relied on Mohamed Salah to create chances, but the Egyptian forward found himself isolated against the physical duo of Marquinhos and Lucas Hernandez. This highlights the need for Liverpool to strengthen their attack with more creative options alongside Salah, Darwin Núñez, and Luis Díaz.
In midfield, Liverpool’s young talent like Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott showed promise but struggled to match the physicality and technical quality of PSG’s midfield trio of Vitinha, Warren Zaire-Emery, and Fabian Ruiz. Slot may need to bring in a more experienced defensive midfielder to support Mac Allister and Szoboszlai in high-pressure games.
Defensively, Ibrahima Konaté and Joe Gomez put in solid performances, but the absence of Andy Robertson’s attacking threat from the left flank was felt. The Scottish full-back’s return to full fitness will be crucial for Liverpool’s future success in Europe.
Despite the disappointment, Liverpool’s progress this season, with players like Szoboszlai and Núñez stepping up, shows they are moving in the right direction. With the team on course to win the Premier League, Slot can use this experience to build a squad capable of competing with Europe’s elite next season.
If Liverpool can add depth to their squad and address key areas like midfield creativity and defensive stability, they have every chance of returning to the Champions League as genuine contenders in the 2025-26 campaign.
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