Ousmane Dembélé

Franco Arland/Getty Images PSG dominated Liverpool at the Parc des Princes. The post 5 Takeaways From PSG’s 2-0 Win Over Liverpool in the Champions League appeared first on PSG Talk.

Showing their full form, PSG defeated Liverpool in an imposing manner, dominating the entire match. Alongside this, Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia delivered an offensive masterclass, controlling the first leg of the 2025–26 Champions League quarterfinals. PSG managed to overcome Liverpool in the 2025-26 Champions League quarterfinals first leg, showcasing all their offensive firepower. Throughout the match, the French side imposed a high press and ball dominance that neutralized their opponent. While the Reds looked to break on the counterattack, they were unable to get out of their own area, losing rhythm. In addition, Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia led the scoring side of the game. The Reds did not arrive in their best form to face the French side, as they were coming off two consecutive defeats. In addition, coach Arne Slot opted for a defensive strategy with five defenders, looking to attack on the counter. Nevertheless, Luis Enrique’s team managed to apply immense pressure that left them completely blocked. Even Jeremy Frimpong and Hugo Ekitke were isolated in attack, as their teammates remained in their own area. Unlike in previous Champions League matches, Liverpool failed to dominate the midfield throughout the game. Although Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister possess exceptional talent, they were pressured by PSG the entire match, which neutralized their offensive contributions. As a result, Ekitike and Florian Wirtz received neither support nor clear-cut chances, ending the game without shots on goal. Taking advantage of his tactical versatility, PSG head coach Luis Enrique opted for a highly mobile front line. As a result, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desiré Doué, and Ousmane Dembélé constantly switched positions, throwing the Reds off balance. Following this, the French side managed to dominate the game, creating openings in the opponent’s crowded defense. Furthermore, they capitalized on their chances, scoring two goals to secure the victory. Desire Doue of Paris Saint-Germain celebrates scoring a goal with Ousmane Dembele. Desiré Doue and Kvicha Kvaratskhelia dominated PSG’s offense Taking advantage of Liverpool’s defensive mindset, PSG managed to gain confidence on offense, their greatest strength. Following a brilliant team play, Desire Doue received the ball on the left wing and dribbled past all his opponents. After driving toward the goal, the Frenchman unleashed a powerful shot to score the team’s first goal, beating Giorgi Mamardashvili within just 10 minutes. Désiré Doué's deflected effort gives PSG the early lead vs. Liverpool 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/NP8RCL7usU — CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 8, 2026 In the second half, the French side continued to press forward against Liverpool. After receiving the ball in midfield, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia found Joao Neves, who controlled the ball and played it back to the Georgian as he ran into space. Upon receiving the ball, he produced a magnificent individual play, dribbling past Liverpool’s defenders to find himself one-on-one and score the second goal of the game. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia that is brilliant 🔥 The Georgian forward coolly rounds the goalkeeper to double PSG's lead 🇬🇪 pic.twitter.com/ZIEF5idt0K — CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 8, 2026

The rout anticipated at Parc des Princes did not materialise, at least not in terms of the scoreline, but the gulf in quality between Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool was laid bare all the same. Arne Slot’s side leave Paris with a scintilla of hope, having arrived with none, and will need to conjure a stunning Anfield recovery on Tuesday just to lay a glove on European champions worthy of the name. A deflected strike from Désiré Doué plus a superb second from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia gave the holders a deserved advantage in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final. It should have been much more. Ousmane Dembélé missed a hat-trick of openings, striking the outside of a post with his final effort, Nuno Mendes and Doué squandered gilt-edged chances and Liverpool survived two penalty claims. A fine display from the visiting goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili also helped keep the margin of defeat respectful.

PSG and Liverpool are set to face off in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, arriving in contrasting forms. While the French side arrives as one of the best teams in the world, the Reds are in the midst of one of their worst seasons, making Mohamed Salah’s availability a constant concern. PSG face Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, looking to secure a spot in the semifinals. Nevertheless, both teams arrive in contrasting form. While the French side comes in as one of the best teams in the world, the Reds are going through one of their worst seasons. Because of this, all eyes are on Mohamed Salah, as he can be decisive offensively. After avoiding injuries in recent matches, Mohamed Salah is in full condition to play for Liverpool. However, coach Arne Slot decided to leave him of the starting lineup. In his final season at Anfield, the Egyptian could be more motivated than ever if he gets the chance, aiming for a heroic performance to lead his team to victory once again. Slot will rely on Hugo Ekitike, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Florian Wirtz, looking to break down PSG’s strong defensive structure. However, they are coming off two consecutive defeats, raising serious doubts about their ability to secure a win. With this being the only competition they can still win, Liverpool could arrive highly motivated, seeking a victory that silences all criticism. Unlike the Reds, Paris Saint-Germain come in on a run of four consecutive wins, regaining the best form of most of their players. As a result, coach Luis Enrique is getting the best version of Ousmane Dembélé, along with a dominant Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who has been the most decisive player from a collective standpoint. In addition, Willian Pacho and Marquinhos have been dominant defensively, complicating Arne Slot’s intentions. Nuno Mendes of Paris Saint-Germain controls the ball under pressure from Mohamed Salah of Liverpool. PSG confirmed lineup vs Liverpool Throughout the 2025–26 season, PSG have dealt with numerous injuries that have affected their performance. Heading into today’s match, coach Luis Enrique will be without Fabián Ruiz, Bradley Barcola, and Quentin Ndjantou. Nevertheless, they have managed to remain dominant, relying on Dembélé, Vitinha, and Marquinhos as the team’s leaders. In addition, the French side maintains a deep roster capable of making the difference. Considering this, PSG will lineup as follows: Matvey Safonov; Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Willian Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Vitinha, Joao Neves, Warren Zaire-Emery; Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Liverpool confirmed lineup vs PSG Like the French side, Liverpool head into the match with several players out, as Alisson Becker, Conor Bradley, Wataru Endo, Giovanni Leoni, and Stefan Bajcetic remain sidelined due to injury. However, coach Arne Slot has managed to keep the team competitive in the Champions League. With this in mind, the Reds will play as follows: Giorgi Mamardashvili; Joe Gomez, Virgil Van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté, Milos Kerkez; Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister; Jeremie Frimpong, Dominik Szoboszlai, Florian Wirtz; Hugo Ekitike.

Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final double header features a star-studded cast as holders Paris Saint-Germain welcome Liverpool to the Parc des Princes and Barcelona entertain La Liga rivals…

Jimbo is joined by the Totally European team of Tom Williams, James Horncastle, Pol Ballus and Seb Stafford-Bloor to discuss the latest from across the continent. Marseille were thrashed 5-0 by PSG in Le Classique with Ousmane Dembele running the show as De Zerbi's problems mount on the Riviera. Bayern Munich got 5 too and got back to winning ways in the Bundesliga, beating Hoffenheim via a Diaz hat-trick and Harry Kane brace. And it was cinque for Inter too as they extended their lead at the top of Serie A against Sassuolo with 5 different goal scorers, whilst McTominay and Højlund helped Napoli to beat Genoa 3-2 in a thriller in Liguria. In La Liga, Antony scored to help Betis beat Atleti and Barca and Real Madrid both won again, whilst the Catalans' president Joan Laporta officially declared they are no longer supporting the 'Super League'. Plus Sociedad's Bad Bunny chant and meal of the week. Produced by Lucy Oliva and Jesse Howard. RUNNING ORDER: • PART 1: Moment Meal of the week (0.40) • PART 2: Ligue 1 review - PSG hammer Marseille (15.40) • PART 3: Serie A review - Goals galore (31.00) • PART 4: La Liga review - Antony shocks Atleti (43.55) • PART 5: Bundesliga review - Bayern hit Hoff for 5 (56.10) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jimbo’s got European football friends Pol Ballús, James Horncastle, Seb Stafford-Bloor and Tom Williams alongside him as the Champions League re-enters the room… We start with those midweek UCL MD7 ties - including the tight battle for a top eight finish with the likes of Tottenham v Dortmund, Marseille v Liverpool and Juventus v Benfica looking finely poised. In Serie A, there were tributes to Fiorentina owner Rocco Commisso - who passed away on Saturday but left a huge legacy in not only Florence but across the Italian sporting landscape. La Viola honoured him by beating Bologna 2-1 on Sunday to move out of the bottom three. Over in La Liga, the gap’s been cut to just one point! That’s after Barcelona’s 11-game winning streak was ended by a 2-1 defeat at Real Sociedad. Real Madrid took advantage, beating Levante 2-0 amid a backdrop of boos, whistles and protests in the Spanish capital… Meanwhile in the Bundesliga, Bayern became the first team in Europe’s top 5 leagues to score 100 goals in all competitions this season as they came from behind to beat Leipzig 5-1 thanks to a second half masterclass from Michael Olise. Plus, what next for Frankfurt after Dino Topmoller was sacked after their latest 3-3 draw? And over in France - Lens are *still* top of the table thanks to a club-record eight straight Ligue 1 wins. PSG stay a point behind after their 3-0 win over Lille - which featured one of the goals of the season from Ousmane Dembele. All that plus pinchos, personalised apps - and poor ratings! Produced by Lucy Oliva. RUNNING ORDER: • PART 1: Moments of the weekend - and foodie endeavours (00.45) • PART 2: Champions League MD7 key fixtures (12.45) • PART 3: Serie A review - Farewell to Rocco Commisso (27.30) • PART 4: La Liga review - Suddenly all to play for at the top (45.05) • PART 5: Bundesliga review - Olise’s masterclass and Frankfurt call time on Dino (45.05) • PART 6: Ligue 1 review - Lens just keep winning (48.15) Take part in our audience survey for a chance to win an $/£100 Amazon voucher! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Frenchman, who has been named the best male footballer in the world by the Guardian, has benefitted from PSG’s focus on the team rather than individuals What makes a good player great, and a great player the best? This question has been occupying me since 2014, when the Guardian first asked me to contribute to its inaugural Next Generation feature. My job was to look for a France-based talent born in 1997 who could go on to have a stellar career. After a great deal of research, I narrowed it down from my shortlist of five by asking questions not about the players’ football ability, but about other attributes: resilience, adaptability, decision-making, creativity, work ethic, response to feedback and willingness to learn. Qualities we cannot see, and are harder to measure.

Ousmane Dembélé becomes our seventh winner as he beats Lamine Yamal into second and Vitinha into third on our list of the best players on the planet Premier League dominates list | How every judge voted | Our methodology | The top 100 female players for 2025 2024 edition | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012

Kris, Phil & Tom salute Ousmane & co after a night of celebrations, whilst at home it's a good weekend for OM and OL, but the bottom five's struggles go on. Elsewhere it's a Euro round up, Team graphics chat & more! Enjoy!