Ousmane Dembélé finally delivered on the destruction he had promised but failed to execute in the first leg, scoring twice in the final twenty minutes at Anfield to complete a 4-0 aggregate rout that eliminates Liverpool from the Champions League and confirms PSG’s place in the semi-finals.
The evening had been an exercise in mounting Liverpool frustration. Arne Slot’s side created chances, pushed forward with genuine belief through a goalless first half, and even had a penalty awarded by referee Maurizio Mariani midway through the second half, only for VAR to intervene and overturn it. That moment, more than any other, defined the occasion’s cruelty.
Dembélé, who blazed over from close range twice in the first leg in Paris and again squandered two clear chances before half-time at Anfield, vindicated Luis Enrique’s patience with a composed left-footed finish from the edge of the area in the 72nd minute. His second came at the end of a sweeping PSG passing move in added time, a clean strike into the bottom corner that removed any doubt.
Hugo Ekitiké, leading Liverpool’s attack, was forced off with an injury in the first half before Alexander Isak replaced him, the second-leg comeback already looking increasingly unlikely at that stage. Mohamed Salah began on the bench, the same tactical decision that drew so much scrutiny in Paris. In his final weeks as a Liverpool player before an Anfield farewell at season’s end, he watched the European dream die from the touchline.
The historical comparison to 2005 Istanbul and the 2019 comeback against Barcelona had been irresistible in the build-up. Liverpool had done this before. What they required was an opening goal and an atmosphere that could sweep PSG into a sequence of errors. Neither materialised in sufficient time.
PSG are now five straight wins over English clubs in Champions League knockout ties, including last season’s win over Liverpool in the round of 16. Their semi-final opponents will emerge from the Bayern Munich versus Real Madrid second leg on Wednesday.
For Liverpool, the task is now entirely domestic. They sit fifth in the Premier League table with five games remaining, four points clear of Chelsea in sixth, and the race for Champions League qualification next season is where their focus must go. A trophyless campaign of considerable promise ultimately yields nothing except the lingering question of what might have been had the January window delivered a striker capable of replacing Isak’s unavailability at the most critical juncture.
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