UEFA Champions League: Paris Saint-Germain beats Liverpool to reach semi-finals

Paris Saint-Germain’s grip on the Champions League trophy remains strong.

The defending champions advanced to the semi-finals of European club football’s biggest competition on Tuesday by eliminating six-time winners Liverpool.

A 2–0 win at Anfield sealed a 4–0 aggregate victory and took PSG one step closer to becoming the second club to retain the trophy in the modern era, after Real Madrid.

«It is difficult to defend the Champions League, we know that,» said coach Luis Enrique. “We are here again and we have to make the most of these opportunities.”

Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Debele scored two goals in the second half to end Liverpool’s fightback and book a semi-final against Bayern Munich or Madrid.

Also on Tuesday, Atletico Madrid advanced to the semi-finals after a 3-2 aggregate victory over Barcelona.

It takes something special to retain the Champions League, and PSG are a special team. Madrid won a hat-trick of titles between 2016 and 2018, but no other team has achieved consecutive victories since the European Cup was renamed in 1992.

PSG are looking to make history after ending their long wait to conquer Europe for the first time last year. It is the second time in as many seasons that the French giants have knocked out Liverpool, who were looking for another famous comeback in the Champions League and have dominated PSG for spells.

“It’s a real pleasure for me to know that my team is at that level and can play at that level, no matter who they play against,” said Enrique, a coach who has won the Champions League twice and also triumphed with Barcelona. «You can see what kind of team we are, what players I have. We have confidence and belief. It’s great to have this experience with this team.»

Dembele’s first goal ended Liverpool’s hopes: a left-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area in the 72nd minute. His second came at the end of a dramatic move in stoppage time.

Dembele was guilty of wasting chances in the first leg to effectively put the equalizer to bed, and he failed to convert two more chances in the first half to put the French champions further ahead at Anfield.

But his opening goal was scored with precision, nestling in the bottom corner. His second was a clinical finish from close range.

Liverpool were dominated in Paris last week. But the Merseyside club knows all about comebacks in this competition.

In the 2005 final they trailed AC Milan 3-0 and won on penalties. More recently, it defeated Barcelona 4-0 in the 2019 semi-finals to overturn a 3-0 first leg defeat and subsequently lift the trophy.

Anfield is known for its red-hot atmosphere, especially on European nights, and the PSG team bus was greeted by red flares as it approached the ground. But inside, the French fans more than held their own: they sang loudly in the away section, while the home crowd sometimes seemed strangely subdued.

Liverpool had their chances despite losing Hugo Ekitike to an early injury. Virgil van Dijk was denied a first-half tap-in as Marquinhos scored a last-ditch block.

In the second half, belief began to grow among the home fans as Liverpool applied the pressure.

And a comeback followed when referee Maurizio Mariani pointed to the spot shortly after the hour after a foul by Willian Pacho on Alexis Mac Allister.

With the score tied at 0-0, the first half was a chance to test PSG’s resolve. But celebration soon turned to disappointment when the penalty was overturned after review.

«We are very disappointed because I think there were moments in the second half where you could get the feeling that if we could score now, this would be a special night,» said Liverpool coach Arne Slot. «But the future looks very bright for this team, for this club, because we have shown that we can compete with the champions of Europe in our stadium.»

Published on April 15, 2026