**_LONDON_**: Ousmane Dembele struck twice to confirm Paris Saint-Germain’s place in the Champions League semi-finals with a 2-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield, sealing a 4-0 aggregate win in their quarter-final tie.
Dembele scored at Anfield for a second successive campaign when he converted an assist from Bradley Barcola in the 72nd minute then completed his double early in stoppage time, slotting home a cross from Barcola again.
The game, played in torrential rain, was further marred for Liverpool by a first-half injury to Hugo Ekitike, who was carried off after going down unchallenged and pointing to his Achilles tendon, leaving the pitch in tears.
PSG dominated the first half with Dembele wasting two early chances. Liverpool then dominated the second half when Ryan Gravenberch, Cody Gakpo, Joe Gomez, Mac Allister and Milos Kerkez all missed chances.
Dembele’s first goal, against the run of play, all but settled the contest, stripping struggling Liverpool, who had previously crashed out of both the FA Cup and League Cup, of any realistic hope of overturning the tie and leaving PSG firmly in control for the remainder of the night.
Ekitike’s injury could have major implications beyond Liverpool’s season, with the striker due to feature for France at the World Cup finals. He has scored 17 goals in all competitions this season since Liverpool signed him from Eintracht Frankfurt for £69m in July.
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