Frenchman Ousmane Dembele struck twice to confirm Paris St Germain’s place in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, after a 2-0 victory over Liverpool on Tuesday sealed a 4-0 aggregate win in their quarter-final tie at Anfield.
The holders soaked up sustained second-half pressure from Liverpool, who were roared on by a raucous home crowd, but built on the advantage they established in the first leg in Paris last week to book their fifth semi-final berth in seven seasons.
Dembele scored at Anfield for a second successive campaign when he latched onto a ball from Bradley Barcola in the 72nd minute and curled a shot into the bottom corner past Giorgi Mamardashvili from 20 yards out.
Liverpool looked for a way back into the encounter but could not break down PSG’s resilient defence.
Dembele then completed his double early in stoppage time, slotting home a cross from Barcola.
Dembele’s goals against the run of play, all but settled the contest, stripping struggling Liverpool of any realistic hope of overturning the tie.
PSG will meet either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid in the next round, with the German side leading 2-1 ahead of Wednesday’s quarter-final second leg.
“We managed to stay strong and defended well,” PSG defender Marquinhos said after the match. “
You can see how the team has matured. We’ve gained experience.”