Paris Saint-Germain’s grip on the Champions League trophy remains strong. The defending champion advanced to the semifinals of European club soccer’s biggest competition by dumping out six-time winner Liverpool on Tuesday. A 2-0 win at Anfield sealed a 4-0 aggregate victory and moved PSG a step closer to becoming only the second club to retain the trophy in the modern era after all-time king of Europe Real Madrid.
“It’s difficult to defend the Champions League, we know that,” said coach Luis Enrique. “We are here again and we need to make the most of these opportunities.” Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Debele scored two second-half goals to kill off Liverpool’s fight and book a semifinal clash against either Bayern Munich or Madrid.
Also Tuesday, Atletico Madrid advanced to the semifinals after a 3-2 aggregate win over Barcelona.
It takes something special to hold onto the Champions League and PSG is a special team. Madrid won a hat trick of titles between 2016-18, but no other team has managed back-to-back wins since the European Cup was rebranded in 1992. PSG is out to make history after ending its long wait to conquer Europe for the first time last year. It is the second time in as many seasons that the French giant has knocked out Liverpool, which was in search of another famous Champions League comeback and dominated PSG for periods. “It is a real pleasure for me to know that my team is at that level and can play at that level no matter who they are playing against,” said Luis Enrique, who is a two-time Champions League-winning coach, having triumphed with Barcelona as well. “You can see what sort of team we are, what players I’ve got. We’ve got confidence and belief. It’s wonderful to be living this experience with this team.” Dembele’s first goal ended Liverpool’s hopes – a left-footed shot from the edge of the area in the 72nd minute. His second came at the end of a sweeping move in stoppage time.