Ccaptain admits he is “not in a good place” but wants to turn focus on top-five finish in the league
Virgil van Dijk has admitted that Liverpool’s comphrehensive defeat at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain is a bitter pill to swallow for him and his teammates.
The defender gave a frank assessment after the match, acknowledging that the French side were clearly superior across both legs. Despite an improved display compared to the first meeting in Paris, the Premier League side failed to overturn the deficit, with Ousmane Dembele scoring twice to seal the result.
“That’s the bare minimum, isn’t it?” Van Dijk said when asked about his team’s better effort in the second leg. “It’s disappointing to be knocked out but PSG deserved to go through. Knocking on the door is not enough. I’m disappointed that we were knocked out, but that is the reality. I think PSG deserved to go through based on the two games.”
Liverpool struggled badly in the first leg at the Parc des Princes, a performance later described as “survival mode” by manager Arne Slot, and they were unable to recover despite creating more chances at Anfield. Wasteful finishing and a key overturned penalty decision further undermined their attempts to mount a comeback.
The knockout ends Liverpool’s hopes of winning a trophy this season. Van Dijk admitted the result has been hard to take but wants to focus on the upcoming derby against Everton which will help secure a return to Europe’s elite tournament next term.
“We should be very disappointed at this stage,” Van Dijk said. “But a massive game awaits for us. We all know how big it is. It will obviously be a tough one but it is something to look forward to. But at this stage, I’m just not in a good place because we got knocked out of the Champions League.”
