Liverpool Player Ratings vs. PSG: Dembele Brace Eliminates Reds

Liverpool were at least spirited in defeat to the holders this time around.

Liverpool bowed out of the Champions League. | Molly Darlington/Getty Images

There was no Anfield miracle on Tuesday night, as Liverpool bowed out of the Champions League courtesy of a 4–0 aggregate defeat to holders Paris Saint-Germain.

The Reds had no choice but to improve upon last week’s quest for survival at the Parc des Princes, but ultimately came up short on home soil. Ousmane Dembélé’s brace secured another 2–0 victory for PSG, who suffered badly for 20 minutes on Merseyside but came through unscathed.

Injury breaks disrupted the flow of a sloppy first-half, and Liverpool were in the ascendancy before Dembélé struck after the hour mark.

Arne Slot will point to the overturned penalty decision on Alexis Mac Allister as potentially the key turning point, but the Reds certainly didn’t do enough over the two legs to advance at PSG’s expense.

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The Moment That Defined the Match

Dembélé’s goal sealed the tie. | Alex Livesey/Danehouse/Getty Images

Liverpool were improved from last week’s first leg in the opening 45 minutes on Wednesday, but both teams seemed to suffer in the conditions. PSG were guilty of not making the most of some promising attacking positions, while the hosts were equally sloppy when they had the chance to transition in the wake of a turnover.

However, Liverpool started the second half with the intent of doing something quite special. Nuno Mendes’ withdrawal seemed to inhibit the visitors drastically, and Arne Slot‘s side smelled blood.

Wave after wave of attacks were roared on by an Anfield faithful that started to believe, but the spirited hosts were shunned by an impressive showing by Matvey Safonov between the posts, and their own lack of conviction in front of the goal.

PSG seemed resigned to counterattacking, but they merely required a moment in the second half to seal the tie. Ousmane Dembélé’s profligacy last week kept Liverpool in it, and he missed a big chance early on at Anfield. Still, the reigning Ballon d’Or winner delivered a ruthless reminder of his devastating quality by beating Giorgi Mamardashvili with a pinpoint finish from distance.

With that, Liverpool’s building momentum dissipated. The air was sucked out of the Kop in one fell swoop.

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Liverpool Player Ratings vs. PSG (4-2-3-1)

Alexander Isak’s first start of 2026 lasted 45 minutes. | Michael Regan/UEFA/Getty Images

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Giorgi Mamardashvili—5.5: More erratic PSG finishing and Liverpool’s second-half superiority meant the Georgian wasn’t tested all that much. Distribution was chaotic at times.

RB: Jeremie Frimpong—7.1: Battled fiercely with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for 45 minutes, giving as good as he got. The PSG star was too clever for Frimpong at times, but the Dutchman was able to match him for speed.

CB: Ibrahima Konaté—7.6: Got away with some questionable positioning at times, but was generally excellent. Aggression helped stymie PSG’s threat at source, helping Liverpool sustain attacks in the second half.

CB: Virgil van Dijk—6.6: The captain looked assured for much of the second leg, imposing himself on PSG’s attack much more than he did last week.

LB: Milos Kerkez—7.6: Couldn’t fault his endeavour and was a back-post threat throughout. Should’ve done more with his two big chances after finding himself on the wrong side of Achraf Hakimi.

DM: Ryan Gravenberch—6.9: Looked fresh after his weekend rest and was the driving force behind Liverpool’s upsurge at the start of the second half. Came close on a couple of occasions with strikes from distance.

DM: Dominik Szoboszlai—7.7: Certainly tried to take responsibility but was unable to fashion the moment that could’ve got Liverpool back into the tie.

AM: Alexis Mac Allister—5.9: Slot used him higher upfield to mask his poor recovery running, but Mac Allister was lost at sea early on. Picked up a silly booking at the end of the first-half, but was a threat in and around the box after the restart, winning a penalty that was rightfully overturned by the VAR.

AM: Florian Wirtz—7.0: We’ve seen this Wirtz performance plenty this season. The German was crafty in moments, but there was never a sense that he was going to take over this game.

ST: Hugo Ekitiké—6.4: Looked sharp when he got on the ball in the opening stages, but his evening was cut short by a bad-looking Achilles injury.

ST: Alexander Isak—5,7: Limited influence on his first start of the year, and his half-time withdrawal was planned.

SUB: Mohamed Salah (30’ for Ekitiké)—6.6: Created two really good chances, and saw a lot of the ball. Far too wasteful at times.

SUB: Joe Gomez (46’ for Frimpong)—6.9: Didn’t last long.

SUB: Cody Gakpo (46’ for Isak)—6.5: A positive introduction at half-time, but lacked a killer instinct in PSG’s box.

SUB: Rio Ngumoha (67’ for Gomez)—6.8: Certainly bright, but faded towards full-time.

SUB: Curtis Jones (74’ for Salah)—6.2: The tie was over by the time he entered the fray.

Subs not used: Freddie Woodman (GK), Kornel Misciur (GK), Amara Nallo, Andy Robertson, Federico Chiesa, Curtis Jones, Trey Nyoni.

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What the Ratings Tell Us

Mac Allister was chasing shadows. | Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar/Getty Images

• It’s just not going to happen for Alexis Mac Allister this season. The Argentine has perhaps suffered from the most demanding of schedules over the past couple of years, because he’s looked a shell of himself this term. Mac Allister was chasing shadows and slow in possession again on Wednesday night, with his needless first-half booking typifying just how off the pace he was.
• Liverpool are a completely different team when their center backs are on it, as they were for much of Tuesday night’s game. Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté set the tone from defense, helping the Reds sustain attacks in the second half. They managed PSG’s fluid attack impressively well, even if Dembélé eventually scored twice.
• Mohamed Salah’s final Champions League appearance at Anfield started earlier than expected, but it was ultimately an anticlimax. The Egyptian created Liverpool’s best chance of the first half immediately after his introduction, but his performance after was littered with the loose touches that have defined his season.

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The Numbers That Explain Liverpool’s Spirited Defeat

• Liverpool ended the night with a higher xG than their visitors (1.92 to 1.25), and recorded nine more shots.
• 1.47 of the Reds’ total xG was generated in the second half, and they also enjoyed 69% possession after the restart. 17 of their 21 shots came during this period, too.
• Both teams were impacted by the slippery conditions, each ending with pass completions below 88%. PSG struggled to retain possession in the second half, completing just 63% of their passes.

Statistic	Liverpool	PSG
Possession	53%	47%
Expected Goals (xG)	1.92	1.25
Total Shots	21	12
Shots on Target	5	6
Big Chances	2	3
Pass Accuracy	77%	77%
Fouls Committed	9	10
Corners	8	2

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