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PSG overpower Liverpool to take command of Champions League quarter-final tie

2026 Champions League

Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored a goal in each half on Wednesday night at the Parc des Princes to give Paris Saint-Germain a 2-0 victory over Liverpool and control of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (left) scored Paris Saint-Germain's second goal in their 2-0 win over Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (left) scored Paris Saint-Germain's second goal in their 2-0 win over Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie. AP - Thibault Camus

Liverpool entered the first leg in Paris on the back of a 4-0 hammering on Saturday at Manchester City in the FA Cup.

And they were 1-0 down within 12 minutes.

Doué wriggled into the Liverpool penalty area and fired off a shot that took a deflection off Ryan Gravenberch and looped over goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Doué should have made it 2-0 in the 39th minute but was too casual with his shot and Mamardashvili blocked the effort.

The let-off appeared to energise Liverpool who put together their best move of the game involving some slick interplay around the PSG penalty area before Jeremie Frimpong strayed offside to receive Florian Wirtz's neat flick.

But it was the hosts who enjoyed the better opportunities. Ousmane Dembélé squandered a chance to finish off a dazzling counterattack when he prodded tamely at Mamardashvili.

Joao Neves was next up among the wastrels poking a shot the wrong side of Mamardashvili's right hand post.

After the pause, the profligacy continued. Dembélé thrashed over the bar in the 53rd minute with only Mamardashvili to beat to herald a phase in which PSG appeared to lose their poise and panache.

Both were restored in a flash of brilliance in the 65th minute.

Kvaratskhelia picked up the ball just outside his own penalty area and moved it on to Vitinha who nudged it on to Neves.

As Kvaratskhelia started his dart forward, Neves played the ball through Frimpong's legs for the Georgian who shrugged off Gravenberch's challenge to dance his way around Mamardashvili, fake a shot to fool Joe Gomez and Milos Kerkez on the goalline and impudently slot the ball into the net.

He skipped away impishly to soak up the adulation from the crowd and his teammates.

PSG were awarded a penalty five minutes later when Warren Zaire-Emery went down under a challenge from Ibrahim Konaté but referee Jose Sanchez overturned his decision after consulting his video assistants.

Dembélé's miserable night continued when he failed to beat Mamardashvili following another counterattack in the closing stages.

“We had the chance to score more goals," Kvaratskhelia told French broadcaster Canal +.

"We should have done so at certain points. But it's okay. We played a good game and we need to stay focused.

"The atmosphere at Anfield for the second leg will be incredible. We're going to start preparing right away.”

In Wednesday night's other quarter-final first leg, Atletico Madrid won 2-0 at Barcelona.