Van Dijk Feels Low After Liverpool's Exit: Concedes PSG Rightly Advanced Past Them

Ousmane Dembele struck twice to secure a convincing 2-0 victory for PSG over a beleaguered Liverpool in the second leg of their quarter-final clash on Tuesday.

Despite being six-time winners of the European Cup, Liverpool managed to stay in contention after limiting their first-leg loss at the Parc des Princes to just 2-0, a phase that Anfield boss Arne Slot described as entering pure "survival mode".

The Premier League title holders showed better form than in the opening match, yet this offered little comfort to skipper Van Dijk, who responded to praise about their home effort by stating: "That's the bare minimum, isn't it?

"It's disappointing to be knocked out, but PSG deserved to go through.

"Knocking on the door is not enough. I'm disappointed that we were knocked out, but that is the reality. I think PSG deserved to go through based on the two games."

The defeat on Tuesday dashed any remaining chances for Liverpool to claim silverware this campaign and seemed to mark a sudden halt to Ekitike's debut year at Anfield.

Since arriving from Eintracht Frankfurt, the 23-year-old has netted 17 times across 45 outings in various competitions and was poised to represent France at this summer's World Cup.

However, he was stretchered off following an awkward fall in the opening period, with Slot noting the issue appeared "really bad" and set for deeper checks on Wednesday.

By Wednesday, Liverpool had yet to detail the extent of the damage amid speculation that the forward suffered a torn Achilles tendon, which could keep him out for a minimum of nine months.

With Alexander Isak back in action, he is primed to spearhead the attack versus Everton on Sunday in the initial Merseyside derby at the Toffees' revamped Hill Dickinson Stadium, as the Reds push for Champions League qualification next term.

"We should be very disappointed at this stage and at this point," Van Dijk remarked.

"But a massive game awaits for us. We all know how big it is. It will obviously be a tough one but it is something to look forward to.

"But at this stage, I'm just not in a good place because we got knocked out of the Champions League."