Hugo Ekitike toils on Paris return as passive Liverpool look to Alexander Isak

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Head coach Arne Slot described Liverpool as being “in survival mode” as he opted for what was effectively a five-man back line. Liverpool had not started with that formation in either a Champions League or Premier League game since a trip to Brighton & Hove Albion under Jurgen Klopp in December 2017, when midfielders Georginio Wijnaldum and Emre Can operated as makeshift centre-backs alongside Dejan Lovren. The players had worked on it at Kirkby for just two days following last weekend’s FA Cup mauling at the hands of Manchester City. “It is completely fine with me if everyone wants to focus on the tactics, but for me that’s absolutely not the story of the game,” Slot said. “Every tactic has been tried over here but the result is always the same: Paris Saint-Germain blowing the opponent away. “They have pace from everywhere, all over the pitch. Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes are unbelievable offensive threats so we faced them with Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez (as wing-backs). That was the thought behind it.” If Slot’s plan in Paris was simply to keep the tie alive ahead of next Tuesday’s second leg at Anfield then a glimmer of hope remains. But it exists thanks to good fortune rather than judgement. The 2-0 defeat massively flattered Liverpool given the gulf in class between the teams. Only a combination of goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili’s heroics and some wayward finishing saved them from the kind of hiding which would have plunged Slot’s tenure further into the mire. Other statistics laid bare the scale of PSG’s dominance. They completed 683 passes compared to Liverpool’s 189, had 18 shots to three, six on target to zero, and created an xG (expected goals) of 2.2 versus 0.18. In terms of big chances as defined by Opta, it was 4-0 in the hosts’ favour. It just did not sit right, the sight of Liverpool being so passive against the European champions. It was the lowest xG they have generated in a game under Slot and the first time they have failed to register a shot on target in the Champions League since a 2-0 defeat to Atalanta in November 2020. Ekitike was isolated for long periods and the fact he had just one touch inside PSG’s box across 78 minutes underlines how little threat the visitors posed generally with their pitiful 26 per cent share of possession. However, Liverpool were also entitled to expect more from their 17-goal top scorer. They needed him to hold the ball up, link play, win free kicks and try to relieve the pressure when they were under the pump, but he failed to do that. The ball just kept coming back. Ekitike, whose frustrating spell at PSG amounted to just four goals across 33 appearances at a time when Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe were ahead of him in the pecking order, completed just 13 of his 23 passes (57 per cent) — the lowest of any outfield player who started Wednesday’s game. He also won just four of his 10 duels (40 per cent) and lost possession 14 times. There were far too many tricks and flicks when Liverpool were crying out for a focal point in attack who could just do the basics to occupy defenders. Ekitike’s only sight of goal arrived early in the second half when he cut inside and lashed wildly off target after ignoring the unmarked Kerkez outside him. If there was one positive to take from Paris it was Alexander Isak making his comeback with a 15-minute cameo after nearly four months out. How quickly they can get the Swedish striker up to speed will go some way to determining what, if anything, can be salvaged during the run-in. Ekitike, who has only netted twice in his last 12 appearances for Liverpool since early February, has had to take on a lot of responsibility in the absence of Isak, but it has become increasingly clear that he is not an authentic No 9. Aerial duels certainly are not one of his strengths. Ekitike’s long-term future at Anfield will either be as a second striker or playing off the left. Slot’s decision to drop Mohamed Salah after his struggles against Man City and then not bring him on despite making five substitutions late on was always going to attract attention. But the logic was sound given the importance of work off the ball to try to combat PSG’s threat. Salah, given the scale of his drop-off this season, was never going to be able to stem the tide. “In the last part of the game, it was more about surviving for us than there was ever a chance that we could score,” Slot said. “Mo has so much quality, but for Mo to be 20 to 25 minutes defending inside his own box, I think it’s better for him to save his energy for the games coming up.” PSG were a joy to watch but both their goals were assisted by Liverpool’s lack of awareness and diligence. Florian Wirtz allowed Desire Doue to get away from him far too easily in the build up to the opener. It was a similar story when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia burst away from Ryan Gravenberch to make it 2-0 midway through the second half. The sight of Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele squandering gilt-edged chances to kill the tie off brought back memories of Liverpool’s miraculous fightback in the semi-final against Barcelona in May 2019. Back them, Dembele missed a late sitter to make it 4-0 to Barca in the first leg in Camp Nou and Klopp’s side made him pay at Anfield a week later. Can history repeat itself? “PSG were by far the better team tonight and could have scored more than two goals, but the good thing was that the players of Liverpool showed fighting spirit,” Slot added. “We definitely need our fans to help us create an atmosphere at Anfield where we can rise to a better level than we did in this game. Don’t forget that Anfield can do a lot. “I was sitting after the away game at Galatasaray (in the last 16 when Liverpool lost 1-0) in front of journalists who were not very positive about our game. One week later at Anfield we played probably our best game of the season (winning 4-1 on aggregate). Our fans do make a big difference for us.” The problem is that PSG are far superior to an average Galatasaray side. And Slot’s current crop are a pale imitation of the club’s 2019 vintage who collected 97 points in the Premier League and were eventually crowned European champions. Liverpool left Parc des Princes wounded but with their dignity just about intact, but there was no happy homecoming for Ekitike. Dreams of a trip to Budapest in late May are dangling by a thread. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms James Pearce joins the Athletic after 14 years working for the Liverpool Echo. The dad-of-two has spent the past decade covering the fortunes of Liverpool FC across the globe to give fans the inside track on the Reds from the dressing room to the boardroom. Follow James on Twitter @JamesPearceLFC