Paris Saint-Germain, a familiar figure at risky heights, resisted the adverse winds of Anfield on Tuesday and dominated Liverpool thanks to Ousmane Dembele’s double (2-0, same score in the first leg), their ultra-efficient Ballon d’Or, to reach the Champions League semi-finals, their natural habitat.
The European champions folded under the wind and rain of northern England, never breaking or giving up on their precious ticket to the competition’s final four.
They even did better by bringing back another victory from this legendary stadium, in challenging conditions due to unfriendly weather and injuries, a year after their shootout success in the round of 16.
Third consecutive semi-final
Dembele, already a scorer on this occasion, struck on the first shot attempted by the visitors in the second half (72′, 1-0), at a time when the French defense was struggling against the offensive waves of the Reds. The Ballon d’Or hammered the final nail in the coffin in stoppage time to complete the visitors’ work, as deadly as ever (90’+1, 2-0).
The PSG will face either Bayern Munich of Harry Kane or Real Madrid of Kylian Mbappe in their third consecutive semi-final, the fifth in seven seasons, showcasing their place at the top of the continental hierarchy.
Liverpool showed a better face
Tuesday, Luis Enrique’s team was not the crushing machine from the first leg (2-0), with a comfortable two-goal cushion and a more lively Liverpool team to handle. They managed their task calmly until halftime, amid the chants of a loud and stirring Anfield crowd, ready to erupt for every half-chance and tackle made. Ibrahim Konate’s tackle on a good cross from Joao Neves (43′) demonstrated Liverpool’s defensive readiness for the battle but also highlighted the danger balance in favor of PSG.
Dembele forced Giorgi Mamardashvili to save a lob attempt (10′), then missed a precious opportunity with a shot over the goal (17′). Defensively, the visitors had few scares, notably a close-range save by Matvey Safonov and crucial clearance by Marquinhos (31′).
Pressure increased in the second half, with a penalty initially awarded against Willian Pacho (65′) but later revoked, providing relief for the visitors.
Dou and Ekitike injured
The biggest setbacks came with the injuries of defender Nuno Mendes and winger Deyvid Dou, each during halftime. Lucas Hernandez quickly replaced the Portuguese defender against a tough opponent, Mohamed Salah.
Salah began on the bench, like in the first leg, before being brought on early to replace the injured Hugo Ekitike. The French forward picked up an Achilles tendon injury and may have seen his World Cup dream shattered.
Salah failed to resurrect his past magic, and the 33-year-old winger bid farewell to the Champions League with Liverpool, where he will depart at the end of the season.
