Alexander Isak made his first start in 115 days as Liverpool lost 0–2 to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarterfinal at Anfield. PSG advances to the semifinal with a 4–0 aggregate after Ousmane Dembélé’s two goals. Liverpool manager Arne Slot commented on Hugo Ekitiké’s injury and the decision to start the Swede.
Alexander Isak, the Swedish international, started up top alongside Hugo Ekitiké for Liverpool against Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield. It was Isak’s first start since December 20, when he broke his fibula and injured his ankle in a league match. He had made brief substitute appearances in the past week, including against PSG in the first leg and against Fulham in the Premier League.
Ekitiké was stretchered off after half an hour without contact from an opponent, clutching his foot. “It doesn’t look good. We could all see it didn’t look good. It’s tough to lose a player, something we’ve been through many times this season,” Arne Slot told Amazon Prime, according to Sky Sports.
Slot surprised by starting Isak in the decisive match. “We needed goals. We signed Isak for a reason. He was ready for at least 45 minutes,” he said to Viaplay. Isak received few balls during his half and was substituted at halftime. With about 20 minutes left, Dembélé—named the world’s best men’s player last year—sealed the win with a long-range strike, followed by a 2–0 in stoppage time.
In the other quarterfinal, Atlético Madrid eliminated Barcelona 3–2 on aggregate with goals from Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres, and Ademola Lookman. Roony Bardghji came on late for Barcelona. Semifinals are scheduled for April 28–29 and May 5–6, with the final on May 30 in Budapest.
