Liverpool manager Arne Slot said he kept Mohamed Salah on the bench in the 2-0 defeat to PSG because his side was trying to survive.
Arne Slot said he left Mohamed Salah as an unused substitute in Liverpool’s 2-0 loss to PSG because the game demanded defensive resistance rather than attacking risk.
Liverpool lost the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final in Paris on Wednesday after goals from Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia gave PSG a deserved win at the Parc des Princes. Liverpool failed to register a shot on target and struggled for long periods against the defending European champions.
After the match, Slot said Liverpool could not cope when they tried to press high. He said the second half became “more about surviving,” and explained that Salah would have been asked to defend for most of his time on the pitch.
Liverpool started with three centre-backs and five across the back line, while Salah began on the bench as Slot took a cautious approach. The result leaves Liverpool with a significant task in the return leg at Anfield next week.
Captain Virgil van Dijk said Liverpool still believe they can respond at home, pointing to Anfield and the club’s record in major European nights. Slot also said the team will need its supporters “more than ever” in the second leg.