Liverpool 0-2 PSG Stats (0-4 Agg): Dembélé Sends Parisians Into UCL Semi-Finals and Renders Reds’ Season Trophyless

Liverpool produced a spirited second-half performance but were silenced by Ousmane Dembélé’s late brace as Paris Saint-Germain earned a 2-0 victory at Anfield to reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals 4-0 on aggregate.

Arne Slot’s men struggled in the first half but looked a different side in the second period, seemingly setting up a grandstand finish while chasing PSG’s 2-0 first-leg lead.

But a few moments after Liverpool had a penalty decision overturned, Dembélé’s gorgeous 72nd-minute strike silenced Anfield and put the tie to bed, before adding another late on for good measure.

PSG sealed their place in the semi-finals, while Liverpool’s last remaining chance of winning silverware this season passed out of sight.

With Mohamed Salah benched again, as he was for the first leg, Alexander Isak made his first start since returning from a broken leg.

And he almost gave Liverpool an early lead with a header that forced Matvey Safonov into action in the seventh minute – but any hopes of a Reds fightback weren’t exactly stoked as they struggled to build on that.

In fact, that proved to be their only shot on target of a first half that PSG ultimately dominated.

Dembélé proved a particular nuisance. He almost caught Giorgi Mamardashvili out of his net when rushing to halt a PSG attack, the Georgian clearing his lines with an elaborate punch.

Dembélé then wasted a glorious chance, putting a volley on the swivel over the crossbar from a few yards out.

Despite their general control, which led to them having 61% possession in the first half, PSG did have a fortunate escape just past the half-hour mark.

Safonov made a vital save to prevent a PSG own goal, and from the rebound, Marquinhos gloriously blocked a goal-bound Virgil van Dijk effort.

Liverpool recorded their second shot on target of the day in the 49th minute, with Safonov keeping an attempt from Cody Gakpo – a half-time replacement for Isak – out of his bottom-left corner.

That was part of a sustained improvement from Liverpool at the start of the second half.

Between the break and the 65th minute, Liverpool enjoyed 75% possession and recorded seven shots to PSG’s zero.

They then thought they had the perfect opportunity to pull one back, but the decision to penalise Willian Pacho for an apparent foul on Alexis Mac Allister in the box was reversed.

Substitute Rio Ngumoha tested Safonov to keep the pressure on, but Dembélé finished Liverpool off with a placed left-footed effort into the bottom-left corner from outside the box soon after.

Highlighting Liverpool’s second-half improvement, that effort was PSG’s first shot since the break.

But it was all they needed, the reigning European champions showing the clinical nature it requires to be such a force at Europe’s top table, and they finished Liverpool off on the break in stoppage time.