Steven Gerrard has given his analysis of Liverpool’s Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, focusing on the opening goal. The former Liverpool captain believes the Reds could have defended better in the moments leading up to Desire Doue’s deflected strike.
Gerrard’s Criticism of Konate and Mamardashvili
Gerrard highlighted Ibrahima Konate’s role in the play. Speaking on TNT Sport, Gerrard said, “They could have been better around the halfway line, you can see PSG have dragged them out of shape. Konate could have done better winning his duel. You look at the backline now, it’s all out of sync.”
Gerrard also scrutinised Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili’s positioning for the goal. “Maybe he could have been a foot or a yard further back, there’s no reason maybe for him to be that high,” Gerrard added. “It is unfortunate and probably being slightly cruel, but if you step outside of the goalkeeper’s union, you can say maybe he could have been that little bit further back. Then he might have been able to tip it over the bar.”
Paul Robinson offered a different perspective on Mamardashvili’s role. Speaking BBC Radio 5 Live, Robinson said: “It is a fortunate finish from a PSG point of view. The pressure was mounting on Liverpool and it is a wicked deflection, which takes it up and over Giorgi Mamardashvili. He takes his opportunity Desire Doue.”
Liverpool’s Struggles During the Match
Liverpool spent much of the match defending in their own half, despite the narrow scoreline. Stephen Warnock suggested Liverpool would be happy with a 1-0 result at one point. He noted their difficulty in progressing up the pitch, saying, “Liverpool will be very happy it is only 1-0 and their aim now is to keep it that way. From what we’ve seen so far, I don’t see them getting a goal to take back to Anfield – they cannot get up the pitch and, even when they beat the press, they are finding it hard to get near the PSG area.”
PSG Extends Their Lead
PSG increased their lead in the 65th minute. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored after running off Ryan Gravenberch, making it 2-0 to the home side.
The Reds were unable to mount a comeback. They will now need to regroup after a difficult night in Paris.