Carragher: Liverpool's Tactical Approach Was Woefully Inadequate

According to Jamie Carragher, Arne Slot's tactics were fundamentally flawed, and Virgil van Dijk will likely implore him to abandon the back-five formation after Liverpool's lackluster performance against Paris Saint-Germain. The Reds now face an uphill battle to reach the Champions League semifinals following a 2-0 defeat in the quarter-final first leg. Carragher believes the scoreline could have been far worse, potentially 'five or six' goals, given the numerous chances PSG squandered, including two penalty appeals rejected by VAR. Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia found the net, handing Luis Enrique's side the win and condemning Liverpool to their 16th defeat of the season. Carragher expressed concern over the significant gap in quality between the two teams, which was alarming considering Liverpool's significant summer spending. He attributed the poor performance to Slot's decision to employ a back-five formation with man-to-man marking, which left Van Dijk exposed and uncomfortable alongside the struggling Ibrahima Konate. Slot admitted that Liverpool were fortunate to not have lost by a greater margin, acknowledging that his team was lucky to only concede two goals. He expressed relief that the tie is still alive and is hopeful that Anfield can make a difference in the second leg. Slot also explained his decision to leave Mohamed Salah on the bench, citing the need to conserve his energy for upcoming games.