Paris Saint-Germain took a commanding 2-0 lead in their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Liverpool at the Parc des Princes, with goals from Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The French side dominated proceedings, leaving Arne Slot's team with a mountain to climb in next Tuesday's second leg at Anfield.
Doué opened the scoring with a deflected strike, before Kvaratskhelia doubled the lead with a superb individual effort. PSG could have added more, with Ousmane Dembélé hitting the post and missing several other chances, while Nuno Mendes also squandered a golden opportunity.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot acknowledged the difficulty of the match, saying: "Tough, tough work, what was expected. We defended with a lot of bodies around the box. Unfortunately the first goal was a deflection. We had some small moments on the break where we could have done better." He remained hopeful for the second leg, adding: "We have to be absolutely spot-on in everything we do. Hopefully the fans can play a big part in that as well."
Despite the defeat, Liverpool have been prolific at Anfield, scoring 24 goals in their last seven home games. However, none of those matches were against a side of PSG's calibre. The visitors will need a dramatic recovery to overturn the deficit against the European champions.
PSG's dominance was evident throughout, with Kvaratskhelia and Dembélé causing constant problems. The hosts had a late penalty appeal turned down when Ibrahima Konaté appeared to push Mendes in the box, but the decision stood after a VAR check.
