Thursday 09 / April / 2026
Paris: Paris Saint-Germain outclassed Liverpool with a commanding 2-0 home victory in the Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday, thanks to goals from Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Doue and Kvaratskhelia struck just before and after halftime, giving Luis Enrique's side a comfortable advantage ahead of next week's return leg at Anfield, where PSG had secured their place in the last eight last season.
Doue opened the scoring with a deflected strike before Kvaratskhelia extended PSG's lead with a brilliant solo run and finish, though the hosts squandered several chances that could have further cemented their semi-final bid.
Arne Slot set up Liverpool with a back-three formation and wing-backs, but the defence held firm for just 11 minutes at the Parc des Princes.
Doue collected the ball on the left side of the box and curled a shot toward the far top corner, which took a slight deflection off Ryan Gravenberch and sailed beyond Giorgi Mamardashvili's reach.
Liverpool struggled to respond, picking up two yellow cards in three minutes and posing little threat for the remainder of the half.
"An excellent second half topped with a fantastic goal. The tricky winger created several chances and also made several good defensive contributions," Player of the Match Khvicha Kvaratskhelia said as per the Champions League website.
"We produced a performance that lived up to the one provided by our supporters. It was an incredible atmosphere, an incredible performance. We deserved more goals. We're a bit disappointed not to have scored more, but this is the UEFA Champions League," Paris Saint-Germain head coach Luis Enrique said.
