Paris Saint-Germain took a firm grip on their Champions League quarter-final with a 2-0 first-leg win over Liverpool, yet Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and team-mates agreed the advantage could have been larger, as missed chances and a late rejected penalty review left the tie still open before the return at Anfield.
PSG’s dominance showed clearly in the numbers, as Luis Enrique’s side produced 18 shots and an expected goals figure of 2.2, while Liverpool created only three attempts worth 0.18 xG and failed to record a shot on target in the Champions League for the first time since facing Atalanta in November 2020.
Desire Doue gave PSG an early lead in the 11th minute when a strike took a deflection over Giorgi Mamardashvili, setting the tone for a one-sided
contest at the Parc des Princes, although Ousmane Dembele, Doue and Kvaratskhelia all passed up clear openings that could have stretched the scoreline before half-time.
The second goal finally arrived on 65 minutes, when Joao Neves delivered a precise pass in behind, Kvaratskhelia rounded Mamardashvili with composure and finished into the net, placing Liverpool head coach Arne Slot’s side in serious trouble, before a late VAR review overturned a penalty award to Doue in favour of defender Ibrahima Konate.
Kvaratskhelia has become a central figure for PSG since joining at the start of 2025 and has now contributed to 17 Champions League goals for the club, scoring 11 and assisting six, more than any of team-mate during that spell, underlining why Liverpool found it difficult to control the attacker throughout the first leg.
Doue’s impact was also historic, as the forward became only the sixth player to reach 10 Champions League goals before turning 21, following Erling Haaland with 20, Kylian Mbappe with 19, Karim Benzema with 12, Jude Bellingham with 10 and Lamine Yamal with 10, further confirming PSG’s growing influence from younger talent on major European nights.
Champions League progress tempered by respect for Anfield test
The result means PSG have now recorded eight wins from their last 10 Champions League matches against English opposition, with one draw and one defeat, equalling the number of victories from their first 27 such games, which produced seven draws and 12 losses, yet players stressed they are not treating the tie as already finished.
Kvaratskhelia expressed both satisfaction and frustration after the Champions League clash, saying: "We had chances to score more, we should have scored more goals at times," before adding: "But it's good, we played a good game. We have to stay focused, the atmosphere will be incredible at Anfield in the second leg. We are ready. "
Midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery carried the same cautious note following the Champions League victory, stating: "We could have scored more. It's a shame, even if 2-0 is already good, nothing is done. We will go there with the same intentions, and try to win the match. We don't know what can happen in a match, we'll have to be serious. We try to prepare for each match in the same way, by coming high and putting intensity and pressing. We managed to do it well, to create a lot of chances, but we had to put them away. "
With a two-goal advantage, superior attacking data and key contributions from Kvaratskhelia and Doue, PSG travel to Anfield knowing progression in the Champions League remains in their hands, yet also aware that Liverpool’s record at home and the atmosphere expected in the second leg could still challenge their control of the quarter-final.
