Manager says defeat to the European champions brutally exposed his side’s weaknesses in front of goal
Arne Slot admitted Liverpool’s struggles in front of goal were again exposed after their Champions League exit to Paris Saint-Germain.
Liverpool were eliminated following a 2-0 defeat at Anfield, which completed a 4-0 aggregate loss, despite dominating large parts of the game. The hosts had more possession, 21 shots to PSG’s 12, and eight corners compared to two, but failed to convert their chances.
Ousmane Dembele scored twice in the second half to secure PSG’s progression to the semifinals.
“Unfortunately, it’s one of the many examples of this season where we weren’t able to score from the many chances we had,” Slot said. “Again, we were so far underperforming in terms of xG, and that is just an ongoing thing with us throughout the whole season.”
Slot also highlighted frustration with officiating decisions, including a VAR call that overturned a penalty initially awarded for a foul on Alexis Mac Allister.
“Another intervention of the VAR which was not in our favour, and that’s also not for the first time this season,” he said. “Then of course we are very disappointed, because I think there were parts in the second half where you could just feel that if we can score now, this is going to become a special night.”
The night was further overshadowed by an injury to Hugo Ekitike, adding to Liverpool’s concerns.
Slot handed a first start in four months to Alexander Isak, who had recently returned from a broken leg, and pointed to his absence as a factor in the team’s scoring issues.
“He was twice close to a goal, and that’s why you play a striker of his level,” Slot said. “If I thought he wasn’t ready, I wouldn’t have played him.”
Despite the disappointment, Slot expressed confidence in the team’s direction.
“The future looks very bright for this team, for this club, because we’ve shown we can compete with the champions of Europe and be the dominant team in our stadium,” Slot said.
“Not many teams can be dominant against Paris St Germain and generate so many chances, as we did. But, yeah, chances is one thing, scoring is a second.”
