The Liverpool defeat to Paris Saint-Germain had a sense of inevitability about it.
PSG beat Liverpool 2-0 in Paris in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final, and the Reds looked far from their best against the defending champions, which made the gulf in class between the two teams pretty obvious.
The Liverpool defeat should further intensify the pressure on Arne Slot, not only because it reduced Liverpool’s chances of qualifying for the last four, but also because it was yet another inept display that has been the regular feature for the Reds this season.
Liverpool Defeat: The Numbers Paint A Bleak Picture
The Liverpool defeat made it very obvious how much the Reds were behind PSG in terms of overall control of the match.
PSG had 74% ball possession in the match, which is a kind of number unheard of in a battle between two top teams.
The Parisians also had 17 shots in the match and should have scored more goals. Liverpool only managed three shots in the match, with none of them being on target.
There was some desperate defending on display by the visitors, but it was not enough to avoid defeat. Liverpool played with a back-five, but that hardly served the purpose.
This was the kind of forgettable performance that Slot would like to put behind him as soon as possible.
The UEFA Champions League is almost done and dusted for them, but Liverpool will have to pull up their socks for the Premier League matches left, which are very important for them to ensure qualification for the UEFA Champions League next season.
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Liverpool Defeat: The Reds’ Performances Domestically Haven’t Been Good Either
The Reds suffered a 4-0 defeat in the FA Cup quarter-final to Manchester City last weekend to exit the competition meekly.
Slot’s men have repeatedly looked ordinary against top teams this season, as most of the top guns have looked significantly better. They trail Premier League leaders Arsenal by 21 points after 31 matches in the Premier League.
Many theories could be floated as the likely reasons behind Liverpool’s fall from grace this season, but the ordinary form of both Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk is definitely one of them.
Dominik Szoboszlai has performed exceptionally well, but has not been able to make up for the off-form of Salah and Van Dijk.
As for Florian Wirtz, the new signing who cost Liverpool £116 million, he has six goals and five assists in 42 matches so far, which is definitely less than what the club had expected while bringing him in.
The Liverpool defeat also pointed out that they have been missing Alexander Isak dearly. Hugo Ekitike has by far been the Reds’ most prolific scorer this season, but his performance against big teams has not been anything special.
Cody Gakpo might very well be playing in his last season for the club, because he continues to look very pedestrian most of the time.
Eight goals in 44 appearances is what Liverpool has got from him this season, which is not great by any standard.
The Liverpool defeat thus pointed out once again that Slot should have some difficulty in saving his job unless some real improvement takes place by the end of the season, and UEFA Champions League qualification may be his only saving grace.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire
Recording Date: 08.04.2026
