Arne Slot glad to stay in contention following Liverpool's 'survival mode' performance
"Paris Saint-Germain dominated the encounter and might have added more than a couple of goals to their tally, yet the positive side is that the Liverpool squad demonstrated resilience and persevered," Slot commented following his team's 2-0 defeat in the French city.
Desire Doue opened the scoring for PSG with a shot that took a deflection early on, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia added the second after the hour, during a game where the home side enjoyed 70 percent of the ball and 18 shots compared to the away team's three.
"Naturally you feel you could have performed better, but much of the match saw us in survival mode, and perhaps we are experiencing that phase right now in the season," explained Slot, with his side securing only one victory in their previous six outings.
"Facing this opponent is incredibly tough. PSG outplayed us, but our refusal to surrender means we retain hope in the aggregate, allowing us to shift the second leg to Anfield, with a crucial Premier League clash against Fulham in the interim."
Slot opted for Joe Gomez as an additional centre-back beside Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk, while Mohamed Salah remained an unused substitute, in contrast to Alexander Isak, who entered late for his return since December following injury recovery.
Salah 'preserving his energy'
"The latter stages were primarily about holding firm rather than pushing for goals," Slot noted regarding his choice to keep the Egyptian on the sidelines.
"Mo possesses exceptional skill, but having him spend 20 to 25 minutes backpedalling in our penalty area would not suit him, so it is preferable to conserve his stamina for the upcoming fixtures."
The manager faces scrutiny as his squad occupies fifth position in the Premier League and risks early elimination from European competition unless they overturn the deficit next Tuesday.
He attributed the tactical shift to countering the forward runs from PSG's wing-backs, Achraf Hakimi on the right and Nuno Mendes on the left.
"Milos (Kerkez) essentially acted as a left midfielder against Hakimi, leaving four at the back, which one could view as a 4-3-3 setup," he stated.
"Consider the potential outcome if we had deployed genuine wingers against Hakimi and Nuno Mendes."
Liverpool now seeks a recovery at home versus Fulham in the Premier League prior to the rematch with PSG, who benefit from a rest period after their Ligue 1 fixture against title challengers Lens was delayed.
"We handled a elite opponent effectively, even as they adjusted their approach, something we encounter often since rivals frequently adapt their tactics when facing us," remarked PSG manager Luis Enrique.
"It is disappointing as we generated numerous opportunities post-interval and could have extended our lead further."
PSG overcame Liverpool in the last 16 the prior season, advancing via penalties at Anfield.
"I have visited Anfield repeatedly as both player and manager, and it remains challenging, yet our mindset stays consistent, regardless of venue, always aiming to secure victory," added Luis Enrique.