Liverpool’s disappointing season just got worse as they were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League after a 2-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their quarter-final on Wednesday morning AEST.
The Reds were hopeful of creating another memorable Champions League evening at Anfield, and managed to push PSG for the best part of an hour.
But two goals from Ballon d’or winner Ousmanne Dembele put paid to those hopes, leaving Arne Slot’s side deflated and PSG marching on as they seek to defend their Champions League crown.
With Mohamed Salah once again watching on from the bench, Liverpool made a decent start and went to the break at 0-0, before the home side thought they had been given a lifeline when they were awarded a penalty after contact between Pacho and Alexis Mac Allister in the box.
But when VAR asked Italian referee Maurizio Mariani to check his decision, he took very little time to change his mind and reverse the call.
Less than 10 minutes later, any hopes Liverpool still had were dashed when Ousmanne Dembele showed why he was named the best player on the planet last season, finding the back of the net with a well-placed shot from outside the box that left goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili with no chance.
Dembele then doubled PSG’s advantage on the night and in the tie just before stoppage time, finishing off a brilliant passing move with a side-footed finish that sparked huge celebrations on the PSG bench from manager Luis Enrique.
PSG now progress to the semi-finals, while Liverpool are in a battle just to remain in Europe’s top competition as they currently sit in fifth place in the Premier League.
In Spain, Atletico Madrid managed to scrape past Barcelona in a classic encounter that had all the flair and fire that you would expect from the two La Liga giants.
Entering the game with a two-goal deficit, Barca made a dream start, with Lamine Yamal scoring inside the opening five minutes, before Ferran Torres made it 2-0 on the night and 2-2 on aggregate after 24 minutes.
But the frenetic opening period wasn’t over yet, with Atletico pulling a goal back, and regaining the lead overall, after Marcos Llorente teed up Ademola Lookman.
Barcelona pressed hard for an equaliser for much of the second half, but were dealt a hammer blow when defender Eric Garcia was shown a straight red card with barely 10 minutes of regular time remaining.
🚨🚨 ERIC GARCIA RED CARD! 🟥pic.twitter.com/2mEUv8AlLb — Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) April 14, 2026
Garcia brought down Alexander Sorloth as the big striker bore down on goal, with the on-field referee Clément Turpin producing a yellow card before his assistant raised a flag for offisde.
But VAR then intervened and after checking the replay, Turpin produced a red that saw Garcia march down the tunnel and throw his jersey on the floor in disgust.
Try as Barca did to find another goal, Diego Simeone’s much-famed backs-to-the-wall approach saw Atleti home, and they now move on to the semi-finals where they could be joined by their cross-town rivals Real Madrid, who play the second leg of their tie against Bayern Munich tomorrow.