Neymar pain for Klopp
PARIS is supposed to be the city of love-fuelled dreams, but for Liverpool it became yet another Champions League nightmare.
The only romance on show in the French capital came from the all-star PSG forward line, who showed what all the money and fuss was about by producing a scintillating first-half display.
On a night of attacking intent, it was the home side who did most to enhance their reputation, with fine goals from Juan Bernat and Neymar.
For Liverpool it was yet another Champions League away-day horror show, and yet in the end, the defeat – the first time they have lost all three group games on their travels in this competition – means little.
It merely means they will have to do what they have done spectacularly well in Europe under Jurgen Klopp – win well at home. A 2-0 victory over Napoli will guarantee they progress to the knockout stages.
They were undone by a pulsating start from PSG, and their own inability to get on the ball enough in midfield, to be bold enough to retain and use possession.
After a James Milner penalty had brought the game back into range, they missed too many second-half chances despite pressuring the French.
In particular, Roberto Firmino fired a header wide from Andy Robertson’s cross, and the leftback also wasted two fine positions when he should have found an unmarked team-mate.
It was a breathless game with a frenetic opening and the elusive Marco Verratti sent Kylian Mbappe racing forward and only a desperate Dejan Lovren lunge diverted danger. But there was hesitancy, and that led to the opening goal.
After 13 minutes Lovren was too reluctant to close down the marauding Bernat on the left, and when Virgil van Dijk could only get a toe on the cross, it fell back to the flying left-back, who cut inside on his right and with the help of a slight deflection wrong-footed Alisson.
Neymar, despite his usual embarrassing and consistent theatrics, took heart and confidence and suddenly PSG had their famous swagger. For much of the rest of the first half Liverpool were attempting to put fires out all over the pitch. Just as it seemed the storm had passed, they conceded again.
Neymar exchanged passes with Mbappe and sent the young forward flying down the left. He crossed intelligently, and even though Alisson brilliantly saved Edinson Cavani’s shot, Neymar continued his run to steer home the rebound.
Two down after 37 minutes, Liverpool looked dead and buried. Yet just as their thoughts turned to the two-goal victory they would need over Napoli, some hope came... despite the best efforts of a hilariously incompetent referee.
Polish official Szymon Marciniak initially gave a corner as Sadio Mane was clearly brought down in the box by Angel Di Maria, but comically was forced to change his mind and Milner converted.
PSG (4-4-2): Buffon; Kehrer, Thiago Silva, Kimpembe, Bernat; Neymar, Verratti, Marquinhos, Di Maria (Alves da Silva 65); Cavani (Choupo-Moting 65), Mbappe (Rabiot 85). Booked: Verratti. Goals: Bernat 13, Neymar 37.
LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Alisson; Gomez, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson; Milner (Shaqiri 77), Henderson, Wijnaldum (Keita 66); Salah, Firmino (Sturridge 71), Mane. Booked: Gomez, Wijnaldum, Sturridge. Goal: Milner 45 pen.
Referee: S Marciniak (Poland).