By SCM Sport Desk
PARIS — Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia were the toast of the Seine last night as reigning kings Paris Saint-Germain, PSG left Liverpool’s Champions League dreams dangling by a thread.
In a performance dripping with Gallic flair, the holders secured a 2-0 quarter-final first-leg lead that barely told the story of their dominance. While Arne Slot’s men arrived at the Parc des Princes hoping for a masterclass in pragmatism, they were instead treated to a lesson in “Kvaradona” magic and youthful exuberance.
The breakthrough came early, and it was a moment of pure misfortune for the Reds. Désiré Doué, the boy with the golden name, saw his 11th-minute effort loop cruelly over Giorgi Mamardashvili after a massive deflection off the unfortunate Ryan Gravenberch.
It was no more than the Parisians deserved. With Mo Salah shockingly relegated to the bench, Liverpool looked toothless, while PSG’s frontline—marshalled by the irrepressible Ousmane Dembélé—ran riot.
The star of the show, however, was Kvaratskhelia. The Georgian wizard haunted Ibrahima Konaté all night, eventually putting the game to bed in the 65th minute. He showed ice-cold composure to round his compatriot Mamardashvili and slot into an empty net, sending the home ultras into a frenzy.
”We were bossed from start to finish,” a grim-faced Slot admitted post-match. “PSG are the holders for a reason, but we’ve seen miracles at Anfield before.”