PLAYER RATINGS | Liverpool 0-2 PSG [agg. 0-4]: Ousmane Dembélé double decides quarter-final

PLAYER RATINGS | Liverpool 0-2 PSG [agg. 0-4]: Ousmane Dembélé double decides quarter-final

UEFA Champions League, Quarter-final second leg, 14/4/25

Paris Saint-Germain sealed a Champions League semi-final spot for the third consecutive season with a hard-fought win at Anfield, with Ousmane Dembélé’s second-half brace doubling their advantage from the first leg.

The match

On paper, Paris Saint-Germain faced a more straightforward task on Tuesday night compared to last year’s trip to Anfield, when the eventual European champions had to overturn a first-leg deficit. Despite PSG’s 2-0 win in Paris, Luis Enrique recognised afterwards that his team would have done well to further capitalise on their dominance before travelling to Anfield.

The visitors started strongly, with Désiré Doué notably outmuscling Milos Kerkez to create a chance from the right wing. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia would test his compatriot Mamardashvili with a long-range effort shortly afterwards. The Georgian goalkeeper later punched away an Ousmane Dembélé effort in spectacular fashion.

Liverpool saw more of the ball towards the quarter-hour mark, however, with Kerkez notably testing Safonov for the first time with a cross after beating Hakimi. Both sides lost players to injuries before half-time, with Hugo Ekitike appearing to suffer a serious injury, leaving the pitch on a stretcher and making way for Mohamed Salah. Luis Enrique, meanwhile, lost Nuno Mendes to an ostensibly lighter issue, forcing the Asturian to bring on Lucas Hernandez in his place.

Arne Slot’s men would have their best spell in the twenty minutes after the break. PSG’s midfield three appeared disoriented and disjointed in the third quarter, as the introduction of Cody Gakpo breathed new life into Liverpool’s transitions.

Safonov was again called into action at the start of the second half, as he pushed away Cody Gakpo’s stinging long-range effort. The hosts appeared to have been rewarded for an all-action third quarter of the match when a penalty was given for a Willian Pacho foul on Alexis Mac Allister. A VAR soon overturned the referee’s decision, though.

It was Ousmane Dembélé, having only scored twice in this season’s European campaign until Tuesday, who ended up deciding the tie at the end of the night.

As the rain intensified over Anfield and frustration crept into the crowd’s support, another PSG counter-attack saw Bradley Barcola bring the ball to within striking distance before laying it up for Kvaratskhelia. The Georgian then found Dembélé, who slotted his shot into the bottom corner from a central position outside the box.

The Frenchman then sealed the second-leg win by finishing off another counter-attack, this time set up directly by Barcola.

PSG player ratings

Matvey Safonov, 8

Achraf Hakimi, 6

Marquinhos, 8– The captain’s block on the half-hour mark, just as Virgil Van Dijk had an open goal, could go on to be remembered as a campaign-defining moment. Liverpool still enjoyed a long spell of momentum after that chance, but the Brazilian and his fellow centre-back made sure that none of the following opportunities were as threatening.

Willian Pacho, 8

Nuno Mendes, n/a – Came off injured before half-time, and was replaced by Lucas Hernandez. The World Cup winner was up against Mohamed Salah for most of the match and lost a few too many one-on-ones.

Vitinha, 4

João Neves, 5

Warren Zaïre-Emery, 5

Désiré Doué, 4 – The Frenchman’s duel with Milos Kerkez was one of the key storylines of the first half, although he made little of the chances he had once he went past the Hungarian. Went off with an injury at the start of the second half, replaced by Bradley Barcola. The former Lyon man was instrumental in sealing the tie, having been involved in both of Dembélé’s goals.

Ousmane Dembélé, 8– The Ballon d’Or recipient settled the tie with a second-half double. He did miss a close-range chance early in the match, although he admittedly needed to spin his body around at short notice to get a volley away,

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, 6

Selected Liverpool player ratings

Ibrahima Konaté, 5

Ryan Gravenberch, 5

Dominik Szoboszlai, 6

Florian Wirtz, 4

Alexander Isak, 3

GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin – reporting from Anfield