PARIS — Ousmane Dembélé has a knack for giving Liverpool a glimmer of hope in critical moments during UEFA Champions League knockout matches, but this time he might escape unscathed.
Back in 2019, while Barcelona led Liverpool 3-0 in the closing moments of their semifinal first leg at Camp Nou, Dembélé squandered a golden opportunity to extend the lead to 4-0, misfiring over the crossbar. Lionel Messi, standing beside him, visibly scolded Dembélé for his missed chance to secure the match.
What followed was nothing short of legendary; Liverpool staged one of the most remarkable comebacks in Champions League history, winning 4-0 at Anfield to reach the final, where they went on to defeat Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid, lifting the European Cup for the sixth time.
Now, seven years later, Dembélé found himself repeating history, missing three clear opportunities that could have put Liverpool’s hopes to rest in the quarterfinal first leg at the Parc des Princes. Instead, Arne Slot’s side faces a manageable 2-0 deficit to overturn, a far more favorable position than what could have been a devastating 5-0 defeat against the reigning champions.
However, as Dembélé and PSG coach Luis Enrique ponder their near-misses before heading to Anfield for next Tuesday’s return leg, one crucial difference remains unaddressed.
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While it was Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool that pulled off the miraculous against Barcelona in 2019, this time it is Slot’s team that Dembélé has inadvertently granted a second chance. They demonstrated in Paris that they are a vastly different side than Klopp’s. Liverpool returned from the French capital with their Champions League dreams hanging by a thread due to their performance.
Unlike Klopp’s side, which tried to attack Barcelona only to lose 3-0 at Camp Nou, Slot’s Liverpool focused solely on preventing a greater loss against PSG, aiming for a respectable scoreline to give them hope in the second leg.
Ultimately, they achieved that goal, but just barely. Had Dembélé been sharper in front of goal, the return leg would have had no stakes and no chance for another famed Anfield night.
Slot will likely claim that the outcome validated his decision to shift from a traditional back four to a three-man defense, utilizing Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong as wing backs. Notably, Mohamed Salah did not make an appearance, not even from the bench, as Slot opted for a system intended to provide more defense and space for Florian Wirtz.
While this strategy may sound feasible, it failed to deliver the desired results in practice. Liverpool struggled to keep pace with PSG, and Wirtz was virtually uninvolved in the game.
Slot commented post-match, “[PSG] tore us apart at times. We’ve tried every tactic imaginable here, but the outcome remains the same, with Paris Saint-Germain dominating their opponents.
“They have so many offensive options, making them incredibly challenging to face. We were simply in survival mode, and they kept us in the game by missing their chances.”
Liverpool’s approach was notably passive and defensive. For fans reminiscing about Klopp’s era, this game felt like a betrayal of the exciting style he cultivated. The once vibrant “heavy metal football” has been muted under Slot’s leadership.
Liverpool’s performance was far from inspiring. They managed just 26% possession, completing only 253 passes to PSG’s 744, and fired three total shots compared to PSG’s 18. None of Liverpool’s attempts found the target, largely due to only nine touches inside the opposing penalty area.
When Désiré Doué put PSG ahead just 11 minutes into the match, it appeared Liverpool might be in for a long evening. Indeed, it was a challenging night, but PSG’s failure to take advantage of their many opportunities allowed Liverpool to remain in contention.
PSG were relentless in their onslaught, with Doué squandering another chance and Dembélé being notably profligate, as the team often opted for elaborate plays instead of more straightforward tactics that could have put Liverpool under severe pressure.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia finally doubled PSG’s lead in the 65th minute with a superb solo effort following a pass from João Neves. At that point, it seemed inevitable that the floodgates would open. However, Liverpool dodged another bullet when a potential penalty was overturned in the 70th minute after VAR determined that center back Ibrahima Konaté had cleanly won the ball from PSG midfielder Warren Zaïre-Emery.
Despite their vulnerabilities, Liverpool survived the night without a heavier defeat, but with three consecutive losses across all competitions, they are in a state of flux. They are markedly declining as a team, and memories of Klopp’s glorious tenure were nearly forgotten in Paris.
If Klopp’s squad had been gearing up for next week’s second leg, there might have been hope. But this current iteration of Slot’s Liverpool bears little resemblance to its predecessor, allowing Dembélé to rest easy this time around.