JAKARTA - Paris Saint-Germain proved once again to be the best by picking up a 2-0 victory over Liverpool in the second match of the Champions League quarterfinal at Anfield Stadium. PSG coach Luis Enrique called the solid defense the key to defeating Liverpool who played at home in the match on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 early morning WIB.
Enrique is aware that Liverpool will play offensively to catch up with the goal deficit after losing 2-0 in the first match at home to PSG. Even though they are two goals behind, Liverpool are still confident. They believe they can repeat the success in the 2019 season when facing Barcelona in the semi-final.
At that time, Liverpool had lost 3-0 through goals from Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, the former striker of The Reds. Barca was also sure to advance to the final because they were three goals ahead and only needed a draw. Moreover, Liverpool lost Mohamed Salah who could not play.
But what happened was the opposite. Barca, who were then managed by Ernesto Valverde, were slaughtered by Liverpool 4-0 who performed all out.
With an aggregate advantage of 4-3, Liverpool qualified for the final and then became champions after defeating Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in a duel between fellow English Premier League teams.
Enrique also anticipated Liverpool's aggressive play by strengthening the defense. As a result, captain Marquinhos, supported by Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes, had to work hard to face Liverpool's frontal attack.
"If you want to win this game, you have to be able to survive with high intensity," Enrique said, quoted by the UEFA website.
"And, we know we can only rely on counterattacks. But the real match was a draw from both teams who both played very good football. It's also an honor for us to be able to play at Anfield," he said again.
According to Enrique, PSG is actually superior and able to dominate the match. On the other hand, the head of the French Ligue 1 has difficulty because of the pressure from PSG. However, Les Parisiens were able to score two goals, all of which were scored by Ousmane Dembele.
"In the first half we played better. We were able to control the game and create some opportunities. In the second half, the game was different. We had difficulties because they put pressure," said the former Barcelona and Spain national team coach.
"We were in trouble but we were able to beat them twice. We also scored two goals in each game," he said.
In that match, Liverpool immediately hit PSG's defense. Manager Arne Slot, who was under pressure following Liverpool's poor results this season, lowered the deadly duo of Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak.
However, the duo failed to meet expectations. Even Ekitike only played for half an hour before being replaced by Mohamed Salah due to injury so he couldn't continue the match.
Salah's entry also did not contribute optimally. Instead, PSG was able to steal the opportunity to score when Dembele defeated goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili in the 71st minute.
The goal that brought the defending Champions League champion ahead 1-0 and killed Liverpool. With a total of 3-0, Liverpool must be able to score at least three goals to extend their breath. But they have been struggling to break through the solid defense of the visiting team.
Moreover, Dembele then consolidated the lead to 2-0. The Ballon D'Or winner again scored a goal in injury time. The score of two goals lasted until the end of the match.
PSG also won 4-0 on aggregate to qualify for the semi-finals to face Bayern Munich or Real Madrid. Bayern, who host Madrid, only need a draw because they have won 2-1 in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.
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