It was a massive Champions League night for Liverpool as they aimed to rescue their season, but it ended in disappointment against Paris Saint-Germain. Goals from Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia secured a 2–0 first-leg victory for the hosts in the quarter-final.
Arne Slot made a bold call before kickoff, switching to a back five with wing-backs and leaving Mohamed Salah out of the starting lineup. The decision failed to deliver, with Jeremie Frimpong unable to offer the same attacking threat out wide. Surprisingly, the Dutch manager didn’t introduce Salah at any point, despite using all five substitutions.
Earlier in the season, Salah had shown visible frustration after being benched against Leeds United, so many were curious about how he would respond this time.
Gerrard on Salah’s Reaction to PSG Snub
After the match, TNT Sports presenter Laura Woods was speaking with Liverpool legends Steven Gerrard and Steve McManaman when Salah passed behind them. He gestured to indicate he wouldn’t be doing an interview. Gerrard and McManaman reassured the situation, while Woods later clarified that TNT didn’t have permission to interview Salah anyway. Notably, Salah still approached the trio to greet them politely.
Gerrard went on to commend Salah’s professionalism, highlighting his reaction as a sign of strong character:
“He’ll be frustrated. He’ll probably feel like he could have influenced the game and improved things going forward, so naturally he’ll be disappointed.
“But credit to him — he stayed behind to do extra running. Normally, without a midweek game, that would be your main session. So he’s already focusing on Fulham and putting in the extra work. That shows the kind of professional and mentality you’re dealing with.”
Gerrard Reflects on His Own Experience
Speaking before the game, after news broke that Salah had been left out, Gerrard shared his own experience of being dropped for a big Champions League clash against Real Madrid:
“We saw him smiling while warming up with the substitutes, but I’m sure he’s disappointed. This is the stage Mo Salah thrives on, and no player wants to be on the bench. I’ve been there myself at the Bernabéu, and it hurts.
“You have to turn that pain into motivation and be ready when called upon. There’s still plenty of football left this season — another leg next week and a game against Fulham — so you have to stay prepared.
“But knowing Mo Salah, I’m sure he’ll be hurting inside tonight after not playing.”
