Mohamed Salah remains on the bench as Liverpool fall to PSG
Arne Slot has explained why Mohamed Salah was not called upon during Liverpool’s 2-0 Champions League defeat to PSG, stating the match had turned into a matter of “survival” rather than attacking, reports BritPanorama.
The Reds succumbed to goals from Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, leaving the Ligue 1 side with a solid advantage ahead of the return leg at Anfield next week.
Salah, who leads Liverpool’s scoring charts in this season’s competition, remained an unused substitute for the first time since December’s match against Leeds. “I think 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 commented during the post-match press conference.
Slot defended his decision, noting that Salah’s skills would have been underutilized in a purely defensive role late in the game. “Yeah, you never know, because last season we scored five minutes before the end, Harvey Elliott, when I took Mo off, but I think this was 20-25 minutes where we were only defending,” he stated.
Other substitutions included Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo, Curtis Jones, Andy Robertson, and Trey Nyoni, all entering the fray from the 78th minute onwards. Despite being outplayed, Slot insisted Liverpool’s chances of advancing to the semifinals remain intact.
He acknowledged PSG’s superior performance but highlighted their missed opportunities. “They kept us alive by not scoring a few open chances. And now we can bring the tie back to Anfield,” he remarked, recalling last season’s home match where Liverpool significantly outperformed their opponents.
Slot also compared this match to Liverpool’s previous victory over Galatasaray, asserting that dramatic turnarounds in European football are possible. “Football has shown so many times that everything is possible,” he observed, mentioning the pivotal role of their fans at Anfield.
PSG’s Luis Enrique expressed disappointment that his side did not secure a larger margin of victory. “It’s a shame, clearly. I think we played a match worthy of our fans. We played very well, we deserved more goals… it’s a shame because we did some very clear things in the second half,” he noted, acknowledging that the focus now shifts to the second leg.
In a competition where surprises are part of the narrative, Liverpool’s potential for a comeback is still alive. Whether they can overcome a two-goal deficit at home remains the pressing question as they prepare to face PSG once again on the hallowed turf of Anfield.
