Khvicha Kvaratskhelia showcased why many have talked him up as a potential Mohamed Salah replacement at Liverpool with a magnificent display in Paris Saint-Germain's 1-0 defeat to the Reds.
The Georgian attacker deserved to be on the winning side, but Harvey Elliott's late smash-and-grab winner put their UEFA Champions League tie in their hands. The English midfielder came on in the 86th minute, and a minute later, he buried the ball past Gianluigi Donnarumma.
PSG somehow came away from the game without a goal and having been served their first defeat of 2025. But Kvaratskhelia was sensational, running the show alongside Ousmane Dembele and explaining why the Parisians paid Napoli £59 million for his services in the January transfer window.
Kvaratskhelia's Phenomenal Performance Despite Defeat
The Georgian attacking ace is a world-class talent
Premier League fans have been treated to some of the most fabulous tricky wingers in football history, with Salah the cream of the Kop at Liverpool. Eden Hazard was long Chelsea's attacking gem for many years, and Cristiano Ronaldo's development into a five-time Ballon d'Or winner started as a slick right-winger at Manchester United.
Kvaratskhelia put in a domineering performance that fans similarly witnessed from the aforementioned trio's time in the English top-flight, putting Slot's Reds under the cosh with quick feet, electric pace and a constant eye for goal. All four of his shots on target were hit with venom, and he found the back of the net with a magnificent curling effort, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
GMS_Kvara
The 24-year-old rarely misplaced a pass with an accuracy of 88%, and his mesmerizing dribbling tore through the visitors' defence on two occasions. He also showcased his playmaking abilities with two key passes and two crosses, and with the whole of Europe watching, many of PSG's Champions League rivals may be wondering why they didn't swoop in January.
Liverpool Fans Blown Away By Kvaratskhelia
He was linked with the Reds before PSG move
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
The Anfield faithful will be delighted with the victory, given how much pressure Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk were under throughout the Parc des Princes. Kvaratskhelia was at the front of it, linking up with Bradley Barcola and Dembele with aplomb and earning praise from Liverpool fans.
Fabrizio Romano wrote in his GIVEMESPORT newsletter in early January that Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea were all interested in Kvaratskhelia. One Reds fan thinks the Premier League leaders should have swooped after his showing tonight: "Watching this makes me cry thinking about how we had a genuine interest in signing Kvaratskhelia."
Speculation is growing over Salah's future at Anfield, amid his contract expiring in the summer. But one fan would have liked the ex-Napoli man to have come in as a Luis Diaz upgrade: "We desperately needed a winger like Kvaratskhelia, but still we’re stuck with Diaz."
Liverpool fan channel 'The Anfield Buzz' echoed those sentiments:
"How good is Kvaratskhelia!? We should have paid whatever him and Napoli wanted, he's absolutely outstanding."
Another supporter thinks it's 'criminal' no other club tried signing him and that he would have been 'loved' at Anfield. "Shame nothing came of those Kvaratskhelia rumours in January. He’s better than Diaz at everything" was the verdict from another fan. It's clear the 40-cap Georgia international has put his name up in lights, and PSG will be eager for him to turn the tide away from home next week.
All statistics courtesy ofSofaScore- correct as of 05/03/2025.
Harvey Elliott celebrating after scoring against PSG in the UEFA Champions League Related
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