What went wrong for Liverpool as they failed to overturn a UCL deficit against PSG

[p][a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/1rx4bOFQ7OVj2TyDJ0BLSH?si=x9JgSGZLS22vZVkjSoMgAg" target="_blank"][b]Listen to an audio version of this article on Spotify.[/b][/a][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]The Reds[/a] had taken [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/psg/CjhkPw0k/"]PSG[/a] all the way to penalties at the famous old ground last season, but with the French giants being given a weekend off by the Ligue 1 authorities, they came into the match fully focused and refreshed.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/szoboszlai-dominik/dERKtqoo/"]Szoboszlai[/a] up for the battle ahead[/h2][p]Liverpool, for their part, had beaten [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/fulham/69ZiU2Om/"]Fulham[/a] 2-0 in the Premier League at the weekend, and with Dominik Szoboszlai suggesting in his pre-match interview that he was "ready to die" to help his side progress to the semi-finals of the competition, it was clear that the visitors were going to have to work hard for the victory, despite their first-leg advantage.[/p][p]The Hungarian midfielder has been vital to Liverpool in the UCL this season, and with five goals, three of which have been the first of the match, he leads the way.[/p][image alt="Dominic Szoboszlai's heat map vs Paris Saint-Germain" id="58f7c1b5-f4aa-4ae5-b872-18d09ef77dfb" credit-line="Opta by Stats Perform" guid="5be4152e-1a92-4fa2-99e0-03a5c69d61af" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]He and his teammates were up against a PSG side that is known for their all-out attack, and which had scored in seven straight European games in 2025/26, last being shut out by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ath-bilbao/IP5zl0cJ/"]Athletic Club[/a] in a league phase draw.[/p][p]Something was going to have to give on the night, too, as the Reds had won four and lost just one of their UCL home games this season, whilst the visitors had won four, drawn one and lost one Champions League match away from the Parc des Princes. [/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/isak-alexander/p41IV42c/"]Isak[/a] returns[/h2][p]Arne Slot made just one, albeit significant, change to his starting XI, with Alexander Isak coming in for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gomez-joe/SKt9dxk8/"]Joe Gomez[/a]. Could this finally be the match where the Swedish striker announced himself on the biggest stage for his current employers?[/p][p]Isak's on-target header in the seventh minute was Liverpool's first attempt of any sort, by which time [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kvaratskhelia-khvicha/bNuGt0hE/"]Khvicha Kvaratskhelia[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vitinha/Sz9SH7zj/"]Vitinha[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zaire-emery-warren/neJeseDL/"]Warren Zaire-Emery[/a] had all had efforts at goal.[/p][image alt="Liverpool vs Paris Saint-Germain - Match stats" id="1cc7ee30-1b49-47dd-9f4d-e00d293d3d99" credit-line="Opta by Stats Perform" guid="8281477d-ec30-4fbe-8c37-53f77f6eff9b" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]In an open and free-flowing encounter, both sides were peppering the other's goal; however, shots were either blocked or off target.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/konate-ibrahima/QJlbDbQe/"]Ibrahima Konate[/a] was certainly amongst the busiest players on the pitch, and his 100% tackle success was a major reason why PSG hadn't extended their advantage in the tie during the early stages.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ekitike-hugo/ltVXPlJU/"]Ekitike[/a]'s nasty injury[/h2][p]Six clearances over the course of the game for the Frenchman were at least three times as many as any other Liverpool outfield player, too.[/p][p]Current Ballon d'Or holder, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dembele-ousmane/zsMC2Ec0/"]Ousmane Dembele[/a], will be wondering how he found the Kop with a shot from just outside the six-yard box and only [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mamardashvili-giorgi/lxnsUkIc/"]Giorgi Mamardashvili[/a] to beat, though the Frenchman would end up having the final say in the game before full-time.[/p][embed guid="c8a900e1-6658-46bb-bd64-f64482a6fec6" url="https://x.com/LFC/status/2044170833824739745" social-type="twitter" /][p]The hosts were dealt a huge blow on the half-hour, as Dembele's international teammate Hugo Ekitike collapsed to the ground with no other player near him, and was stretchered off.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/salah-mohamed/08FBycgB/"]Mo Salah[/a] was sent on to replace the Frenchman, and despite having 14 touches in the PSG box over the course of the next hour, easily the most of any player from either side, he would only have one off-target effort to show for his endeavours.[/p][h2]Vitinha sets the tempo[/h2][p]Though PSG were a little less expansive than usual, midfielder Vitinha remained the player to dictate the pace and tempo of their attacks.[/p][p]60 total passes, of which 50 found their target, couldn't be bettered by any of his colleagues, even though his completion stat of 83.3% was particularly low for him.[/p][image alt="Liverpool vs Paris Saint-Germain - Player ratings" id="a85393ca-8557-41a8-9b0e-12948ec7fe4f" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="29a6610e-b275-4df3-b1b3-e34ecba43a83" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]By half-time, neither side had made the breakthrough, but if Liverpool wanted to progress, then they needed the likes of Isak to have more than just his five touches in the first half.[/p][p]Arne Slot, however, had seen enough and hooked the striker at the break, replacing him with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gakpo-cody/pWyuBud0/"]Cody Gakpo[/a].[/p][h2]Second-half dominance from the Reds[/h2][p]The Dutchman was certainly a little livelier, though he too only managed a single shot on target (three minutes after coming on) despite a performance which promised much, but delivered little.[/p][p]Winning three of his five one-on-ones was necessary when Liverpool's backs were against the wall, but the need to be on the front foot appeared to be lacking at times.[/p][image alt="Liverpool vs Paris Saint-Germain - Momentum shift" id="ab6de039-6e55-4577-9143-4c22204e48a8" credit-line="Opta by Stats Perform" guid="9df21583-8580-482d-a64f-27e749aa5819" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]Collectively, the Reds were working hard, with 79% possession in the opening 15 minutes of the second half, during which time 44.7% of the action was taking place in PSG's defensive third.[/p][p]Six shots were either blocked, off target or saved, but as the game entered the final half hour, Liverpool still hadn't made a vital breakthrough.[/p][h2]Dembele ends the tie as a contest[/h2][p]A penalty award, which was reversed after a VAR review, appeared symptomatic of their evening, but still they kept PSG goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/safonov-matvey/zJF3W9Rq/"]Matvey Safonov[/a] on his toes, forcing him into six total saves on the night.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-dijk-virgil/U59RNqOr/"]Virgil van Dijk[/a] had given a captain's performance at the back for Liverpool, winning four of his six one-on-ones, two of his three aerial duels and 100% of his tackles; however, he and his defensive colleagues could do nothing when Dembele picked his spot with 18 minutes to play and effectively ended the tie as a contest.[/p][embed guid="688b8344-46a2-4f26-8f87-776235708274" url="https://x.com/PSG_English/status/2044174203704775168" social-type="twitter" /][p]To Liverpool's credit, they didn't give up, but only five shots on target from 21 attempted isn't good enough at this level.[/p][p]By contrast, PSG had six attempts on target from 12 attempted, the most shots on target that the Reds have allowed in a single UCL game this season.[/p][p]Dembele's second during injury time only rubbed salt into the hosts' wounds, and they're now left battling to finish in the European places as their only possible benefit from a disastrous season.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/liverpool-lId4TMwf/psg-CjhkPw0k/?mid=OdLTIvyf"]Catch up on the match with Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p][image alt="Jason Pettigrove" id="cfa705f4-c69c-4ba5-a70e-5388dc3fdea6" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="18225025-c92c-4ab4-92bc-a48fc6e683f2" original-width="1200" original-height="380" /]