Red-hot PSG beat Liverpool 2-0 in quarter-final first leg

PARIS, April 8 : Holders Paris St Germain were a cut above Liverpool as goals by Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia spurred them to an easy 2-0 home win in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday.

Doue and Kvaratskhelia struck either side of halftime to give Luis Enrique’s side a solid advantage ahead of next week’s return at Anfield, where PSG booked their place in the last eight last season.

Doue opened the scoring with a deflected effort before Kvaratskhelia doubled the lead with a superb solo run and finish, but PSG wasted a handful of chances that would have further strengthened their push for the semi-finals.

Liverpool, thrashed 4-0 by Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals at the weekend, set up cautiously with three centre backs and Mohamed Salah on the bench, but struggled to contain a PSG side that mixed patient possession with bursts of attacking intensity.

Arne Slot opted for a back three with wings but the defence held for only 11 minutes at the Parc des Princes.

Doue picked up the ball on the left side of the box and his curled shot towards the opposite top corner took a slight deflection off Ryan Gravenberch and went out of Giorgi Mamardashvili’s reach.

Liverpool were hanging on for dear life, picking up two yellow cards in three minutes, and barely threatened.

ZERO SHOTS ON TARGET FOR LIVERPOOL

As the visitors’ defence scrambled a clearance, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia fired a half-volley that forced Mamardashvili to fully stretch. The keeper then denied Doue from point-blank range, preserving Liverpool’s deficit to a minimum.

Next, Ousmane Dembele missed a golden opportunity to double the advantage when he shot straight at the keeper at the end of a sharp transition.

Liverpool, who did not