Liverpool struggled with a change in system and were cut open by Paris Saint-Germain throughout Wednesday’s 2-0 loss – including from routine throw-ins.
Speaking after Liverpool’s first-leg defeat in the Champions League quarter-finals, Arne Slot insisted his switch to a 3-4-2-1 setup was “not the story.”
But his desperate attempt to counter the threat of a side he has praised like no other over the past year made the Reds more open – and Jamie Carragher was right to argue that PSG should have scored five or six.
With a light two-man midfield of Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister, Slot’s trio of centre-backs were often required to step out to help stifle PSG’s buildup.
Clearly that did not work, and footage of three throw-ins from left-back Nuno Mendes – all from his own half – shows how easily Liverpool were exposed.
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— Ahmed (@Ahmed158241) April 9, 2026
The first came from deep at left-back, with Mendes bypassing four Liverpool players to find Joao Neves, who was able to play a simple pass to find Ousmane Dembele and create a chance for Desire Doue.
His next was from a similar position, this time switching play to Vitinha and then on to Doue on the right touchline, with Liverpool’s entire setup forced to shift across.
Then in the second half Mendes was able to arrow a throw-in from near the halfway line to find Khvicha Kvaratskhelia behind the Liverpool defence to cross for Lee Kang-in at the back post.
Liverpool’s setup vs. PSG was an abject failure
PARIS, FRANCE - Wednesday, April 8, 2026: Liverpool's captain Virgil van Dijk reacts to conceding the second goal during the UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final 1st Leg match between Paris Saint-Germain FC and Liverpool FC at the Parc des Princes. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
While PSG did not score from any of those moves, that Mendes was able to bypass Liverpool’s midfield with long, flat throw-ins shows the flaws in their setup.
Having opted for a more compact approach to restore a semblance of form earlier in the season, away to the European champions Slot tasked his side with a man-to-man marking approach and an entirely new formation.
It did not work at all and Mendes’ throw-ins are just one glaring example of how easily PSG found it to work their way through.
There is an irony in Slot mentioning Joe Gomez‘s long throws as one of the benefits of starting the 28-year-old as one of his three centre-backs – as his were outclassed by PSG’s left-back from their own half.
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