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71 min: No penalty! The referee is invited to go the monitor and he quickly overturns the decision. Konate certainly won the ball with a fine tackle; there’s also an argument that he leaned into Zaire-Emery first. I’m not 100 per cent sure it would have been overturned in the Premier League, but overall it feels like the correct decision.
70 min: Penalty to PSG!
Liverpool think this was a clean – and brilliant – last-ditch tackle by Konate on Zaire-Emery. Hmm, I can see both sides but I don’t think it will be overturned.
68 min That really is a delightful goal. Everything was happening so fast, with players moving all over the place, but Kvaratskhelia demonstrated remarkable spatial awareness and the composure of a bomb-disposal expert. He even took another step, after beating the keeper and Gomez, so that Kerkez’s momentum would take him out the way and increase the gap into which Kvaratskhelia could pass the ball.
This guy is a glorious player, who scores goals of unique brilliance. He made a great run off Gravenberch to receive Joao Neves’s brilliant angled pass from the left and move through on goal. He ignored Gravenberch’s challenge from behind – many players would have gone down, then veered away from both Mamardashvili and the wrongfooted Gomez on the six-yard line before passing the ball into the far corner. Wonderful finish.
GOAL! Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 Liverpool (Kvaratskhelia 65)
This is borderline genius from Kvicha Kvaratskhelia.
65 min Before the game Arne Slot said Alexander Isak would be able to play a maximum of around 20 minutes, so we might see him soon.
63 min The tie is intriguingly poised. A 1-0 defeat would be a good result for Liverpool, but they’ll also be mindful of last year’s tie, when they won 1-0 in Paris and still went out.
61 min Fine defending from Gomez, who lunges to block Hakimi’s short-range cross and concede a corner. He’s had a good game.
59 min Mac Allister’s long-range shot hits Pacho in the area. Liverpool enquire about a possible penalty, nothing more than that.
Replays show it hit an elbow that was tucked into Pacho’s body. I say ‘an elbow’, I mean it was Pacho’s right elbow.
58 min Mac Allister exchanges passes with Szoboszlai and is fouled on the edge of the D by Pacho. The referee doesn’t agree.
56 min Here’s an insight for you: next goal’s a big goal!
53 min: What a chance for Dembele!
PSG cut Liverpool open with two economical, perfectly weighted passes. Kvaratskhelia finds the overlapping Nuno Mendes, who slides a precise cutback towards the unmarked Dembele 12 yards out. He wallops it over the bar with his left foot. That’s a great chance.
52 min Hakimi robs Kerkez just outside the area, gets to the byline and tries a pass/cross that is crucially cut out by Gomez. The resulting corner is half-cleared to Hakimi 20 yards out; his shot is about to disturb air traffic control.
51 min A fairly quiet start to the second half. PSG have had some blistering moments but their overall performance hasn’t been at the level they reached last spring. At least not yet.
49 min Ekitike curls well wide from 22 yards after nice play by Wirtz and Szoboszlai. That’s Liverpool’s first attempt at goal in the match.
48 min “Funny that Szoboszlai has a foot with a sweet spot the size of Orkney,” writes Niall Mullen, “because at the weekend he had a blind spot the size and shape of Nico O’Reilly.”
46 min PSG begin the second half in style. Vitinha tries to kick for touch and screws it behind for a Liverpool goalkick.
Half-time reading
Half time: Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 Liverpool
PSG deserve their lead, even if Desire Doue’s goal took a big deflection. After a very nervous start Liverpool grew into the game, albeit without creating any significant chances. Big 45 minutes coming up!
45+1 min “Rob, a world away from Paris is the Scottish Highland League clash at Brora tonight, with the home side three points behind leaders Brechin, but with a superior goal difference, and the final round of fixtures to come on Saturday,” writes A both away to mid table sides with nothing to play for. A win for Brora tonight will likely give them the title, anything else would make Brechin strong favourites. Gotta love football, eh, whether in Paris or Brora.”
45 min: Chance for PSG Dembele is surrounded by Liverpool players on the right side of the area. But he stays calm, assesses his options – there are a few – and guides a fine pass to the unmarked Joao Neves on the edge of the area. He drags a low shot well wide.
44 min There’s been a red card and a goal in the other quarter-final between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. Luke McLaughlin can give you chapter and indeed verse.
42 min Dembele shoots tamely at Mamardashvili from 15 yards after a sensational PSG counter-attack. There isn’t enough time to describe it, as there were five or six players involved, but the precision and penetration were quite beautiful.
39 min Frimpong is flagged offside after running onto Wirtz’s scoop and belting a shot just wide of the far post. We’ve not seen a replay so I don’t know whether the offside call was correct.
38 min A poor clearance from Kerkez goes straight to Kvaratskhelia, who swaggers into the area and tries his luck from a tight angle. It’s too tight, in fact, and the shot ripples the side netting.
37 min: Big save by Mamardashvili
One long pass down the left and suddenly PSG are two v one against poor Joe Gomez. Nuno Mendes slides an early square ball into Doue, whose left-foot shot from 10 yards is blocked by the outrushing Mamardashvili. Terrific stop.
36 min “Last season was fun, wasn’t it?” writes Matt Dony. “And come to think of it, 2019-20 wasn’t too shabby. Have to admit I quite enjoyed 2018-19. And, admittedly, many, many other seasons. Let’s just draw a line under this one, though, eh? Roll on 2026-27.”
32 min A snapshot from Kvaratskhelia, near the right edge of the penalty area, is pawed away well by his international colleague Mamardashvili. Good save because Kvaratskhelia too the shot early and Mamardashvili had to dive a long way to his right.
31 min Mac Allister is booked for a late, inept lunge at Doue. No complaints that time.
29 min PSG’s reserve left-back Lucas Hernandez is warming up. Nuno Mendes was down a couple of minutes ago and apparently needed his inhaler.
28 min Gomez is booked for a firm sliding tackle on Doue. He took a lot of the ball but the referee didn’t like it. Replays suggest it was probably a fair tackle.
26 min Passes completed: PSG 163-44 Liverpool.
25 min “Ah, I remember when the Liveblog Dungeon was the Farringdon Bunker,” says Niall Mulle. “I hope your shackles are comfortable, Rob.”
A little snug.
24 min Liverpool have responded well to going a goal down, and Doue’s goal remains the only shot on target at either end. Having the ball is a mixed blessing, though, because PSG look devastating in transition.
