Paris Saint-Germain's Georgian forward #07 Khvicha Kvaratskhelia celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Liverpool FC at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on April 8, 2026. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP)
Paris, France: Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored the goals to give a dominant Paris Saint-Germain a 2-0 win over Liverpool in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday, as the holders seized a clear advantage to take to Anfield for next week's return.
Doue's shot in the 11th minute looped over goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and in thanks to a big touch off Ryan Gravenberch, and Kvaratskhelia then rounded his compatriot to double PSG's lead 65 minutes into a game they bossed from start to finish.
It only remains to be seen whether the reigning European champions -- who had a second-half penalty in their favour overturned after a VAR review -- might regret not scoring more goals against a Liverpool side who lined up with three centre-backs, an extreme rarity for them under Arne Slot, and were run ragged.
The game plan could not stop the Reds slumping to a second emphatic loss in five days, even if the scoreline was not as bad as the 4-0 mauling inflicted by Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals last weekend.
It is just one win in six games in all competitions now for Liverpool, and this was a 16th reverse in total in a difficult campaign.
Slot's team must now try to repeat what they did in the last 16, when they overturned a 1-0 first-leg loss away to Galatasaray by winning 4-0 in the return.
This will be a far tougher task than that, however, as the sides clash again next Tuesday on Merseyside, where PSG won 1-0 in the second leg of their last-16 tie last season before advancing on penalties.
That was a big step on their way to winning the Champions League for the first time, and came after they somehow lost 1-0 at the Parc des Princes despite completely dominating.
A string of Alisson Becker saves helped Liverpool smash and grab their way to victory a year ago, but the Brazilian was absent here meaning Mamardashvili started in goal for the visitors.
