Ousmane Dembele has praised the performance of Paris Saint-Germain as they dug deep to seal an impressive 2-0 win at Liverpool on Tuesday night.
The Ballon d’Or winner scored both goals on the night as the reigning champions advanced to the semifinal of the Champions League with a 4-0 aggregate result over the Reds.
The Frenchman was also named the player of the match, after turning in another brilliant performance on the big stage.
“We’re so happy that we were able to win this game because it was really difficult, especially the second half. But we found a way to win, and we’re through to the semi-finals, and we are delighted”, Dembele said after the match.
“On the first goal, I just wanted to place the ball. And on the second goal, Bradley (Barcola) did an incredible job.”
Dembele had the first big chance of the game, but he blasted over from inside the box, before Marquinhos produced an excellent block to deny Virgil Van Dijk as Liverpool turned up the heat.
Cody Gakpo was also denied, while teenager Rio Ngumoha had an effort well saved by Safonov.
However, it was Dembele who sealed the tie and shut any hopes of a comeback with a superb opener later in the second half, before he doubled his tally in stoppage-time after good work by Bradley Barcola.
This has led to comparisons with their level of play when they won the competition last season and the French forward believes the team can go all the way once more.
“I think we are at the same level”, Dembele added.
“We have this desire to win trophies – we will try to go all the way to the end, we will play our game until the end of the competition.”
Paris Saint-Germain will now face either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid in the semifinal, with both sides facing off in their quarter-final second leg encounter later tonight.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
