A defiant but dejected Virgil van Dijk was once again front and center to face the music following Liverpool’s latest European setback at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain.
The Reds’ captain didn’t hide from the cameras at the Parc des Princes, offering a raw assessment of a night where Arne Slot’s experimental tactics left the Premier League champions looking uncharacteristically fragile in the City of Light.
It was a familiar, frustrated sight for Liverpool fans as Virgil van Dijk stepped up to the microphones in Paris. For the second time in four days, the skipper was left searching for answers after a tactical gamble from Arne Slot saw the Reds dismantled by Luis Enrique’s PSG.
Arne Slot would have settled into his dug-out at the Parc Des Princes, before Liverpool kicked off their first leg Champions League showdown with PSG, slightly apprehensive as to what he was about to watch.
It wasn’t quite as hard to watch as the 4-0 defeat in the FA Cup, as Manchester City tore the Merseyside giants to shreds, but it was far from being comfortable viewing.
As the match statistics suggest, PSG dominated the contest for most of the 90 minutes, with Liverpool thankful that the scoreline remained at 2-0 come the full-time whistle, as the Ligue 1 side amassed 18 shots in total at Giorgi Mamardashvili’s well-protected net.
Unfortunately, while Mamardashvili pulled off several inspired stops, Van Dijk had a somewhat shaky game in front of the Georgian stopper.
Indeed, the Dutchman was uncharacteristically sheepish, as he failed to close down Desire Doue’s opener, with only two duels won on his end, too, come the end of the one-sided game.
Much like he came out after the 4-0 City defeat to talk to the media, the Liverpool captain spoke to TNT Sports right after the dust had settled at the Parc Des Princes, to offer up another frank assessment.
Van Dijk’s post-match comments after PSG
Van Dijk became a topic for wider conversation – in the aftermath of the loss at the Etihad – as he insinuated his team “gave up” on the road in Manchester.
This time around, he wasn’t so bleak, but he did admit the workout in Paris was a “tough” one, as PSG took no prisoners.
He said: “Tough work. It’s what was expected. I think we defended with a lot of bodies around the box. Unfortunately, the first goal was a deflection.
We had some small moments on the break where we could’ve done better. Obviously, I’m not happy whatsoever. The only positive is that we have another game next week. But now it’s a quick turnaround, and we have Fulham waiting for us as well.”
The long-serving captain wasn’t completely down in the dumps at the full-time whistle, though, as he went out of his way to praise Mamardashvili’s agile performance in between the sticks, as he hopes all these saves prove to be “very crucial” in aiding a special Anfield turnaround.
Of course, Liverpool’s famous home ground has been host to some amazing comebacks in the Champions League in recent years, namely the Reds’ unbelievable 4-0 win over Barcelona in 2019.
Van Dijk defiantly suggested that another memorable comeback could be on the cards, as Liverpool will be backed by their raucous home masses.
He concluded: “We have to be spot on with everything we do, and hopefully our fans can play a big part in that as well. I’ve been to many special evenings at Anfield.
I’m lucky and privileged. Our fans are the backbone of the club, and hopefully they can be there for us again.”
It would require a superhuman effort, as Liverpool looks broken and defeated at the moment under Slot, with 17 defeats now next to their name in all competitions.
But the tie still hangs in the balance, arguably, as the Reds play Fulham next in the Premier League, before diving headfirst back into the unpredictable terrain of the Champions League.
