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Virgil van Dijk admits heās ānot in a good placeā after Liverpoolās Champions League exit
TL;DR
Virgil van Dijk expressed his disappointment after Liverpool's 2-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, which ended their Champions League campaign. He acknowledged that the team deserved the loss due to their shortcomings and poor finishing.
Van Dijk gave an honest assessment of Liverpool's shortcomings (Getty)
Liverpool's Champions League campaign ended with a 2-0 quarter-final second leg defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, a result captain Virgil van Dijk admitted his side deserved.
The European exit was compounded by a serious injury to Hugo Ekitike.
Ousmane Dembele's double sealed the win for Luis Enrique's side, with Liverpool's efforts thwarted by poor finishing and key interventions.
After last weekās 2-0 first-leg loss at the Parc des Princes, where Arne Slot described his team as being in "survival modeā, Liverpool were outclassed once again at Anfield.
Put to Van Dijk that Liverpool gave it a go, the captain said: "Thatās the bare minimum, isnāt it? Itās disappointing to be knocked out but PSG deserved to go through. Knocking on the door is not enough.
Virgil van Dijk had no arguments with Liverpoolās Champions League exit (Peter Byrne/PA) (PA Wire)
āIām disappointed that we were knocked out, but that is the reality. I think PSG deserved to go through based on the two games."
The defeat ended Liverpool's silverware hopes and seemingly brought Ekitike's debut season to a premature end. The 23-year-old, with 17 goals in 45 appearances, was stretchered off.
Head coach Slot described the injury as "really badā, with reports suggesting a ruptured Achilles tendon could sideline him for at least nine months, ending his World Cup prospects.
With Alexander Isak now fit, attention shifts to Sunday's derby against Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Van Dijk, still processing the European disappointment, acknowledged the need to refocus.
"We should be very disappointed at this stage and at this point this evening,ā he said. āBut a massive game awaits for us. We all know how big it is.
āIt will obviously be a tough one but it is something to look forward to. But at this stage, Iām just not in a good place because we got knocked out of the Champions League."
Hugo Ekitike was stretchered off in the first half (PA Wire)
Midfielder Ryan Gravenberch echoed his captain's sentiments, stressing the need for recovery.
"Is it acceptable to be eliminated this way? No, actually not," the Netherlands international told Ziggo Sport. "Itās disappointing. We have to pick ourselves up as Sunday is waiting.
āWe still have six matches in the league and we just want to play in the Champions League next year as well. We have to give it our all."
Q&A
What was the result of Liverpool's Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain?
Liverpool lost 2-0 to Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals, resulting in their exit from the Champions League.
Who scored the goals for Paris Saint-Germain in the match against Liverpool?
Ousmane Dembele scored both goals for Paris Saint-Germain in their victory over Liverpool.
What injury occurred during the Liverpool vs. Paris Saint-Germain match?
Hugo Ekitike suffered a serious injury during the match, compounding Liverpool's disappointing exit from the tournament.