PSG complete a stunning turnaround to crush Liverpool’s treble dream

Ousmane Dembélé led PSG to a memorable win against Liverpool at Anfield. (Image credits - FMT, License Details)

Paris Saint-Germain secured a place in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League in a superb manner by beating Liverpool on the night at Anfield by a scoreline of 1-0 and eventually winning the tie on penalties. 

The Parisians came into the second leg of the Round of 16 with a one-goal deficit, which was quickly cancelled out by their star man, Ousmane Dembélé, just 12 minutes into the game, putting the tie back on level terms. 

Despite both teams’ continued pressure on each other's defence throughout the game, Dembele’s early goal remained the only goal of the night, leaving the tie to be decided on penalties, which went in favour of the French champions. 

Have Liverpool been left exhausted trying to chase all 4 titles? 

The dominant Slot machine looked drained and rusty as it struggled to get going over the course of both the legs against the electric PSG. 

Liverpool looked lost in Paris but still managed to find a surprising late winner. However, the same wasn't the case at Anfield two nights ago. 

Experts and even fans pointed out the Reds’ lack of energy on the pitch, which led to their inefficiency in front of the goal and failure to convert any chances they managed to carve out in Enrique’s compact defensive setup.

The hosts looked even more lethargic in the second half, which forced Arne Slot to replace Dominik Szoboszlai and Luis Diaz at the hour mark, despite looking threatening, with Curtis Jones and Darwin Nunez, respectively, in an attempt to revive the energy levels of his team. 

While Nunez did ignite some spark in his fellow teammates with his commendable work rate, his wastefulness in front of the goal became a major talking point of the match, as he also missed a penalty in the shootout, which left the Reds trailing and eventually losing out to PSG. 

Are PSG the favourites to win the Champions League now? 

Luis Enrique’s men managed to eliminate the mighty Liverpool, who were being considered as the top favourites to win this year's prestigious UCL title, which has increased their chances of going all the way through dramatically. 

Their phenomenal attacking display against Manchester City in the knockout playoffs was already a massive indicator of their ability to take down even the strongest of the oppositions with their dynamic game style.

However, against the Reds, who statistically had the best defence in this season’s Champions League, PSG took their attacking display to a whole new level, registering a staggering total of 48 shots across the two legs, as per Sofa Score.

On top of that, their 27 shots in the first leg in Paris still remain the highest number of shots attempted in a single game in this season's competition so far. 

What has made PSG’s attack so effective?

Paris Saint-Germain’s attack has been their biggest strength this season, which has become absolutely unstoppable since Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's signing in January. 

PSG’s new front three, comprising Kvaratshkelia, Bradley Barcola, and Ousmane Dembele, has helped Enrique assemble the best attack in all of Europe since January, which has netted an astonishing 47 goals in just 14 games since the beginning of the year. 

The free and dynamic roles given to Dembele and Barcola since Kvaratskhelia's arrival have been the key to the attack's success. 

With the incredible pace that Dembele and Barcola possess, it becomes almost an impossible task for the opposition to keep track of the two Frenchmen, who as a result, are often able to position themselves in dangerous and goal-threatening areas.