ReactionVirgil van Dijk's assessment of Liverpool's UCL loss against PSG
The Reds trail at the halfway point of the tie, due to goals from Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia at Parc des Princes on Wednesday night.
The sides meet again under the lights at Anfield next Tuesday, when Arne Slot’s men will have to produce a comeback to reach the last four.
Read a summary of the captain’s reaction to the first leg in Paris, speaking to TNT Sports post-match, below.
On the game…
Tough. Tough work, which was expected. I think we defended with a lot of bodies around the box. Unfortunately, the first goal is a deflection. We had some small moments on the break where we could have done better. Obviously I’m not happy losing here whatsoever, the only positive thing is that we have another game to play next week. But now obviously it’s a quick turnaround and Fulham waiting for us as well.
On Liverpool’s change of system for the match..
It’s what they do, isn’t it? They obviously move around everywhere basically and you have to communicate well, you have to follow your man, you have to take risk in that sense as well sometimes, and wait for the right moment to win the ball and hopefully do them on the counter. I think we had some opportunities to do that, didn’t do it too well. But hopefully we can be much better, especially in possession, at Anfield.
On ‘how crucial’ the saves of Giorgi Mamardashvili on the night could be in the tie…
Hopefully very crucial. Obviously last year we played a game here that we should have lost but we won it, Ali [Alisson Becker] had to play probably his best game of his career. But we couldn’t get the job done at Anfield. Now we are 2-0 down and we have to get a special performance next week. But we have a very important game before that as well, so focus on that one.
On turning the score around at Anfield next week…
We shouldn’t forget we play against the European champions of last season and you see the quality they have in the games that they played already this season, in the league and also in the Champions League, and how good they can be, it doesn’t really matter away or home – so we have to be absolutely spot on with everything we do. Hopefully our fans can play a big part in that as well. I’ve been through many special evenings at Anfield, I’m very lucky and privileged, and our fans, that’s the backbone of the club and hopefully they can be there for us again.
