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Mohamed Salah was handed a brutal rating by the French media again following his dismal display against Paris Saint-Germain in Tuesday’s second leg of the Champions League round of 16.
The Reds began strong at Anfield, applying high pressure that kept the Parisians pinned back for the first 20 minutes.
Salah did have his moments, for example in the fourth minute after Dominik Szoboszlai drilled into Gianluigi Donnarumma’s box, followed by the Egyptian’s strike, which Nuno Mendes impressively intercepted.
However, everything changed after Ousmane Dembele found the back of the net following a mix-up between Ibrahima Konate and Alisson. Despite a solid performance by Liverpool in the second half, the game went to penalties, which was ultimately won by the French side.
L’Equipe were quick to react to PSG’s comeback victory with their front page that stated ‘Super-Heroes’, while Donnarumma was named the man of the match. At the same time, three Liverpool stars were handed 4/10 ratings.
Salah’s performance was particularly highlighted by the French outlet – known for their harsh marking – as they also claimed that the Reds star was ‘annihilated’ by Mendes on the attacking right flank
Mohamed Salah was handed a 4/10 rating following Liverpool’s defeat on penalty shootout against Paris Saint-Germain
The Egyptian saw his best attempt blocked by Nuno Mendes, in what could be his last Champions League game in the Reds’ shirt
Wednesday’s edition of L’Equipe ran with the ‘Super-Heroes’ headline following PSG’s win
‘Overall Salah was annihilated, as in the first leg, by Nuno Mendes, losing a considerable number of duels against him,’ they wrote.
‘In addition, the ex-Roma player, who lost possession 31 times (his team’s record), also stood out for his inability to properly exploit counter-attacks initiated by his team-mates.
‘Even if he converted his shot on goal, the Pharaoh’s record is therefore largely insufficient in his confrontations against PSG, the team he has faced the most in his Champions League career without ever finding the goal.’
The outlet’s ratings came after Arsenal icon Thierry Henry claimed that Barcelona winger Raphinha is now the number one contender for the upcoming Ballon d’Or 2025.
While the Egyptian and his Liverpool team-mates were knocked out of the Champions League, the Catalans’ leader scored two goals against Benfica in a confident clash at Nou Camp, which saw his side qualify for the quarter-final.
Salah’s opponent during the game, Mendes, was handed an 8/10 rating as the Portuguese locked the right flank down, winning the most tackles and duels throughout the entire 120-minute match.
The French newspaper pulled no punches by also handing Diogo Jota a 4/10 rating, as in Salah’s case, for several lost balls as well as both lack of dominance in ground and aerial duels in the game.
‘He [Jota] initially showed some nervousness, immediately committing a big foul on Achraf Hakimi that would have deserved a yellow card, before showing clumsiness by missing the target with his header and with a long-range shot,’ added L’Equipe.
Arne Slot’s side saw their exit from the Champions League after Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones missed their post-match penalty attempts
Diogo Jota and Ryan Gravenberch were the other two stars given a 4/10 rating for the showdown against PSG
Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai saw the highest 7/10 ratings in Liverpool’s squad
‘In the end, the Portuguese, who has only won two of the ten duels he has played, had little impact, logically leaving his place to Darwin Nunez, who missed his shot on goal.’
The Uruguayan appeared in the 73rd minute but was mainly remembered for his missed penalty, which was confidently saved by the Italian shot-stopper.
On average, Arne Slot’s band were given an average rating of 5.4, with Ryan Gravenberch’s poor showing furthering bringing down the mean score.
Despite playing the entire game, including the extra-time, the Dutchman was also given a 4/10 rating, although the French newspaper highlighted his brilliant performance in the Premier League this season.
Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai had the highest rating in Slot’s side – a 7/10 – while Alisson, Andy Roberton and Luis Diaz were all given sixes.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was forced off the pitch due to an injury scare and is now a doubt for the Carabao cup final against Newcastle, was handed a 5/10 – as was his team-mate Ibrahima Konate, who had a direct participation in Dembele’s equaliser.
However, Arne Slot seemed pleased with the showdown at Anfield, saying it was the best game he had ever watched between two great teams.
‘It was the best game of football where I was ever involved in. Incredible performance, especially compared to last week, ,’ he said. First 20/25 minutes, we were all over them, created chance after chance and all of a sudden we were 1-0 down.
Expectedly, Gianluigi Donnarumma was given the best 9/10 rating in the game following his penalty shootout heroics
Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was forced off the pitch in the 73rd minute, received a 5/10
After the final whistle, Arne Slot said it was the best game he has ever watched between two great teams
‘Probably it was almost the opposite, maybe we ran out of luck because the margins were so small tonight.
‘We played the perfect game except from scoring goals, it was the same for PSG last week when they played the perfect game and didn’t score and it happened to us today.’
Donnarumma – who was handed the highest 9/10 rating by L’Equipe – was the reason why Liverpool could not find the back of the net in front of their own stands.
Aside from a number of stops during both normal and extra time, the Italian – who broke English hearts in 2021 – saved two penalties in the shootout.
‘He took risks and imposed himself on a dozen crosse. He was almost like an English goalkeeper,’ wrote the French newspaper.
‘His kicking game is average. Yes, but yesterday, who cares!’
