Photo by Molly Darlington/Copa/Getty Images

News

HomeNewsLiverpoolEnglish Premier League

What the French media said about Mohamed Salah after Liverpool loss to PSG in Champions League

Giuseppe Labellarte

Wed 12 March 2025 6:15, UK

Liverpool have been knocked out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage after being beaten on penalties by Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night.

Liverpool withs🔥tood an onslaught in Paris to emerge unlikely 1-0 winners in the first leg, but their slender advantage d▨idn’t last long in the second leg.

Ousmane Dembele struck from close range in the 12th minute, putting the Champions League tie on a knife edge.

Neither Liverpool nor PSG could find anღother goal in normal time, and even extra time didn’t yield any more goals.

The game went to penalties, and the visitors triumphed with relative ease as Gianluigi D🧔onnarumma kept out Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones.

Mohamed Salah had a difficult eveninꦗg in the first leg and t🤡hings didn’t exactly get better for him in the second leg, except for his successful penalty.

A number of Frencܫh media outlets gave their verdicts on the Liverpool star’s performance against PSG at Anfield.

READ MORE: Virgil van Dijk shares what he told Liverpool’s player𝔉s immediately after their Champions League defeat vꦗs PSG

Three French outlets give Mohamed Salah less than 5 out of 10

gave Sala෴h a 4 out of 10 for his efforts on the night.

“Highly anticipated after his ordeal in the first leg, the Egyptian started his match very st🅷rongly,” they wrote.

“Overall, all the opportunities were created on his side in the first half, but he often came up against an excellent Nuno Mende𒈔s, intractable in the wing.

“In the second half, he came close to bringing the Reds back to level, (Khvicha) Kvaratskh🌜elia miraculously saving his half-volley from a corner (62nd).

“But [he] gradually fell back into his bad habits of the first l𒉰eg, committing a lot (too many) technical inaccuracies and weighing very little in the Reds’ push at the end꧋ of the match.”

Meanw🐻h🉐ile, went with a mere 4 out of 10 for the Egypt international.

“A fiery first quarter of an hour before being extinguished ꦅby (𝕴Nuno) Mendes,” they began.

“From the start, he was ideally served by Mac Allister and curled his 🦂ball to the far post, blocked near the line by Mendes.

“A few moments later, following a solo raid, he﷽ saw his attempt grazed the far corner.

“Subsequently, the Egyptian suffered in the face of 🎀Mendes’ constant pressure and activity.

“In the second half, while he had some good balls to negotiate, he🃏 lacked the creativity to truly worry the PSG rear-guar𒐪d.”

Finally, went with a 4.5 out of 10 for Salah at the end of 💃the match.

“Well c🎶ontrolled in the first leg (1-0), the Liverpool winger had another mixed evening against Paris Saint-Germain,” they wrote.

“However, ea𒁃rly in the game, the Egyptian ꧃was dangerous with a shot saved by Mendes and then a shot off target.

“But thereafter, he was not very sharp and 🅷was especially well caught by Mendes🃏 in the first half.

“After the break, the Pharaoh was more inspired, but was checked by a volley by Kvaratskh⭕elia.

“It should be noted that he managed🃏 to score his (penalty) sh🐟ot.”

How Mohamed Salah fared against PSG

Salah has been sensational for Liverpool this season, registeri🏅ng a staggering 32 goals and 22 assists in all competitions, but he struggled once again when up against PSG.

Nuno Mendes had the better of Salah for most of the match, with the Egyp🏅t international only managing one shot on target. He was also dispossessed 31 times in the game.

A number of Liverpool fans felt Arne Slot wasཧ to blame for 🏅the penalty shootout defeat as he subbed off two great spot-kick takers in Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik ♛Szoboszlai.

Despite the blow of being eliminated in the Champions Leꦍague, Liverpooౠl are still very much in the picture for the Premier League and one domestic cup.

The Reds are head and shoulders abov✨e the rest of tꦛhe competition in the Premier League title race and they will contest the League Cup final this Sunday.