PARIS — Ousmane Dembélé has a habit of reigniting Liverpool’s hopes just when all appears lost in a UEFA Champions League knockout fixture, but the Paris Saint-Germain attacker might escape repercussions this time.
In 2019, with Barcelona holding a 3-0 lead in the waning moments of their semifinal first leg against Liverpool at Camp Nou, Dembélé launched a simple opportunity to make it 4-0 over the crossbar. Lionel Messi, standing beside him, vehemently chastised his then-colleague for failing to definitively end the contest.
The subsequent events are well-known. Liverpool orchestrated one of the most remarkable second-leg comebacks in Champions League annals, securing a 4-0 victory at Anfield to advance to the final, where they triumphed over Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid, clinching the European Cup for the sixth occasion.
Seven years later, Dembélé, now playing for PSG, repeated his pattern, squandering a trio of clear-cut chances to, once again, dim Liverpool’s prospects in the quarterfinal first leg at Parc des Princes. This left Arne Slot’s squad with merely a 2-0 deficit to reverse, rather than what could very easily have been a 5-0 rout against the reigning European champions.
However, before Dembélé and PSG manager Luis Enrique spend restless nights pondering what might have been, prior to their journey to Anfield for next Tuesday’s return match, there exists one significant distinction they must not disregard.
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It was Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool that accomplished the seemingly impossible against Barcelona, yet on this occasion, it is Slot’s squad that Dembélé has granted a second opportunity. Their display in Paris revealed a team entirely distinct from Klopp’s in every aspect. Slot’s side departed the French capital with their Champions League ambitions precariously balanced due to their tactical approach.
While Klopp’s team suffered a 3-0 defeat against Barcelona after striving for a win at the Camp Nou, Slot’s Liverpool had a singular objective against PSG: maintain a sufficiently respectable scoreline to retain a fighting chance in the second leg.
Ultimately, the mission was fulfilled, but only just. Had Dembélé brought his clinical finishing, the second leg would have been rendered inconsequential, devoid of any possibility for another so-called Anfield miracle night.
Slot will contend that the outcome validated his choice to abandon his customary back four in favor of a three-man defense, with Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong deployed as wing-backs. Mohamed Salah was not in the starting lineup — he didn’t even emerge from the substitutes’ bench, as Slot opted for his new formation to both enhance defensive stability and attempt to secure more time and space on the ball for Florian Wirtz.
The concept was sound in theory, but in practice, neither goal was achieved. Liverpool were thoroughly outplayed by PSG, and Wirtz barely touched the ball.
“[PSG] disassembled us at times,” Slot informed reporters. “Every strategy has been attempted here, but the outcome is consistently the same, with Paris Saint-Germain overwhelming their opponents.
“They possess so many offensive tools, making them exceedingly difficult to contend with. We were in survival mode, but they kept us afloat by failing to convert their chances.”
Liverpool exhibited extreme passivity, defensiveness, and negativity. For those supporters cherishing memories of the Klopp era, this felt akin to a betrayal of the former manager’s legacy. His distinctive “heavy metal football” had been gradually phased out by Slot, but in this game, it was completely silenced.
Liverpool offered nothing in attack. They managed just 26% possession — PSG completed 744 passes compared to Liverpool’s 253 — and took three shots versus the 18 registered by PSG. None of Liverpool’s efforts tested the goalkeeper, but with only nine touches inside the penalty area, it is challenging to threaten the opposing netminder.
When Désiré Doué put PSG ahead in the 11th minute, it seemed Liverpool were in for a grueling evening. This indeed proved to be the case, yet PSG’s inability to fully exploit their dominance kept Liverpool in contention.
Opportunity after opportunity presented itself to PSG. Doué squandered another chance, Dembélé was repeatedly profligate, and the home team allowed themselves to over-complicate, attempting too many flicks and tricks when a more direct approach would have subjected Liverpool to unbearable pressure.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia finally extended PSG’s lead in the 65th minute, netting a solo goal after being released by João Neves. This was another moment where it appeared the floodgates would open. However, Liverpool escaped once more in the 70th minute when a penalty was rescinded following a VAR review that judged Ibrahima Konaté had legitimately won the ball in a challenge with Warren Zaïre-Emery.
Liverpool were teetering, awaiting the decisive blow, but Dembélé missed two further opportunities. The 2-0 final result felt like a moral victory for Slot’s side, rather than a defeat.
Nevertheless, Liverpool now face three consecutive defeats across all competitions, and they are clearly a team undergoing transformation. They are also a team in decline, and any lingering recollections of Klopp’s illustrious period were extinguished in Paris.
If Klopp’s team were preparing for next week’s second leg, anything would be conceivable. But not so with this current squad. Slot’s Liverpool has become the antithesis of Klopp’s side, so Dembélé can rest easy this time.