Liverpool were the better team for long stretches in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinal vs PSG, but a late brace from Ousmane Dembélé eliminated the Reds from the competition. Even with the loss, there are plenty of positives to take away from the match to help swallow the bitter pill of defeat.
Here are the Top 3 things we learned from the match.
Liverpool Are Still One Of The Best Teams In World Football
Liverpool showed that they were better than the best (defending UCL Champion PSG) for long stretches of the match. After not putting a single shot on goal in the first leg, the Reds had 5 in this match. In total, they outshot PSG 21-12 and had more corners, 8-2. Ibrahima Konate said it best when speaking to the media after the contest.
“Today we created many chances, and I think on the pitch we were the better team today. That's why it's a little bit unfair. It’s like the last season when we played [PSG] at home, we created many chances, we had so many opportunities to score, but at the end, they had maybe one or two clear chances, and they scored. This is football.”
Injury Update
Hugo Ekitike was stretchered off in the 28th minute with a non-contact injury, and Arne Slot says it looks serious.
"Not too good,” Slot said. “I think we could all see that it didn't look well and didn't look good. Let's wait and see what it will be. But we could all see it didn't look good. In the second half, he went home, so I haven't seen him yet. Losing a game is already very hard, especially in the way we lost it, but again – as it seems to be – losing a player is something we've had so many times this season. It's especially very hard for him because you never want to be injured, especially not at this moment of time in the season."
The Future Is Now
With Ekitike’s injury likely a long-term one, this provides the perfect opportunity for Rio Ngumoha to start in his place at the top of the 4-2-3-1 formation. His performances have comparisons to vintage Salah. He should be paired with the Egyptian King the rest of the way. It worked so well vs. Fulham; if that combination continues, a Champions League bid for next season is almost assured. When Salah leaves, Ngumoha can shift back to the right side and play a striker such as Isak up top, or the Reds could bring in a big-name transfer.
LFC Globe Verdict
I know it’s weird to say I feel hopeful and excited about the rest of this season, heading into the next, after a 2-0 loss, but I do. The Reds played well, and when they were pushing for a goal, it was beautiful to watch. They showed flashes of that improved play vs. Fulham, and I think that improvement will continue.
Also, after hearing that Isak was only available for 45 minutes tonight, it makes sense that the plan was to start him over Salah and then bring Salah on in the second half in case the match went into extra time. I’m still not convinced Slot is the best option going forward, but at least I understand and appreciate his thinking.
Have Your Say
Are you hopeful like me since the Reds have played better in the last two matches, or am I just a crazy optimist and things are just as bad as they ever were? Share your thoughts below.