Arne Slot admits Liverpool 'survived' as PSG take control of tie

Goals from Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the first and second half sealed a dominant night for the French champions, who controlled possession and created the clearer chances throughout.

Slot did not hide from the reality of the performance. "Paris Saint-Germain was by far the better team and could have scored more," he said. "But the good thing was the players showed fighting spirit and kept going."

Liverpool struggled to gain a foothold, managing just a handful of attempts while spending long periods defending deep. Slot acknowledged the situation bluntly: "We were in survival mode for large parts of the game, and maybe also at this stage of the season."

Despite the deficit, he remained hopeful. "We didn't give up and that is why we still have a chance. Now we bring the tie back to Anfield."

The Dutch coach's tactical decisions also came under scrutiny. He opted for a back three featuring Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez, aiming to deal with the attacking threat of Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes.

Slot explained: "If we had played with real wingers against Hakimi and Mendes, think about what could have happened."

His decision to leave Mohamed Salah on the bench also raised questions. "For him to defend in his own box for 20 minutes, it is better he saves his energy for the games ahead," Slot said.

PSG coach Luis Enrique praised his side but admitted the scoreline could have been more emphatic. "We created a lot of chances and it is a shame we didn't score more," he said.

Liverpool now turn their focus to a crucial league clash with Fulham before hosting PSG at Anfield, where Slot believes the tie can still be turned around.