Liverpool star picked out by Steven Gerrard after 'cruel PSG goal

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Steven Gerrard claimed that Ibrahima Konate could have been stronger in a duel with Desire Doue in the build-up to Paris Saint Germain's opening goal against Liverpool on Wednesday evening. The two sides met at the Parc des Princes at 8pm in the first leg of the semi-finals of the Champions League .

However, it took the Ligue 1 giants just 11 minutes to break down the Premier League champions on the night, Doue dinking the ball over Giorgi Mamardashvili from the edge of the box. Vitinha burst into the centre of the park with pace, working a quick one-two with Nuno Mendes before finding Doue on the left flank.

The youngster shirked off Konate's presence, wrong-siding the centre half as he ran into the open space ahead of him. Doue then found Vitinha in support on the inside before the ball was shifted across to Ousmane Dembele .

The Frenchman lost control while dribbling forward, with the ball once again coming out wide to Doue, who twisted and turned at the edge of the area before unleashing a flighted shot toward Mamardashvili's goal; the ball ultimately sailing over the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.

While a hefty deflection on the trailing leg of Ryan Gravenberch played a major part in the shot's flight path, Gerrard picked issue with Konate's lack of strength in the tackle in the build-up. Speaking at half-time on TNT Sports , the Liverpool legend said: "They could have been better around the half-way line, you can see PSG have dragged them out of shape.

"Konate could have done better winning his duel. You look at the backline now, it's all out of sync.

"Again, they get up to the ball quick enough, there's enough bodies. They're not being passive, they're getting around it.

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"They end up with four people around it when he cuts back in but no one gets tight enough and they get that cruel deflection and it makes them go a goal down."

Elsewhere, Gerrard also asked whether Mamardashvili could have been a little closer to his line to perhaps tip the ball over as the shot came in. The Georgian shot-stopper was a little far forward for Gerrard's liking, as he opined: "Maybe he could have been a foot or a yard further back, there's no reason maybe for him to be that high.

"It is unfortunate and probably being slightly cruel, but if you step outside of the goalkeeper's union, you can say maybe he could have been that little bit further back. Then he might have been able to tip it over the bar."

It comes as Arne Slot made the decision not to start a number of key players for Wednesday evening's important fixture. Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo were both demoted to the bench from the outset, with the Dutchman instead putting faith in a front three of Hugo Ekitike , Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong.

Alexander Isak also returned to the bench for the first time since his leg fracture against Tottenham Hotspur in December, with suggestions that the Swedish striker could manage up to 20 minutes if needed.

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