UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain took a 2-0 lead in the first leg against English Premier League winners Liverpool.
Published April 8, 2026
Paris Saint-Germain’s UEFA Champions League defense continues to make good progress after an emphatic 2-0 win against Liverpool in the first leg of their quarter-final.
The home side took the lead on Wednesday thanks to a deflected shot from Desire Due in the 11th minute, when his shot from outside the box looped over a helpless Giorgi Mamadashvili.
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The Reds have been away from defending their English Premier League title for too long this season, leaving only the Champions League with a slender silver medal hope, but Arne Slott’s side rallied to respond to the Parisians’ good fortune until the half-time whistle.
The second period was completely different, something that has become all too familiar to Liverpool fans this season, but in the 65th minute the Georgian international dribbled into the box, past the keeper and rightly doubled the advantage for Khvitya Kvaratskhelia.
The home team had a total of 18 shots, with 6 on target, while Liverpool had only 3 shots on target and none on target.
Despite relentless passing and 74 per cent possession, it wasn’t the most fluent performance from Luis Enrique’s side in the French capital, but their second-half performance was a huge improvement on their first half.
Achraf Hakimi’s shot in the 82nd minute was one of the biggest moments to seal the tie, but Mamadashvili made a fine save low down the left to leave his team with a chance ahead of next Tuesday’s second leg at Anfield.
Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele showed a moment of brilliance with two minutes left in the box, exchanging a one-two with substitute Lee Kang-in in the box, but his ferocious strike only bounced off the post, leaving the Reds’ keeper with little to do but hope.
The defeat marks Liverpool’s fourth consecutive away defeat and the first for a Merseyside club since April 2012.
The winner will face either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the next round, with the latter holding a 2-1 advantage after Tuesday’s quarter-final first leg in the Spanish capital.
