Liverpool ‘a little bit’ off last season’s level, says Konate after PSG elimination

Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate has conceded that they are not operating at the same level as last season after their Champions League journey ended in frustration as Paris Saint-Germain sealed a commanding quarter-final victory.

Ousmane Dembele struck twice as PSG won 2-0 on Tuesday night at Anfield, completing a 4-0 aggregate success that sent the French champions into the semi-finals.

Asked whether the 4-0 aggregate defeat fairly reflected the balance of the tie, Konate expressed frustration at the outcome, pointing to missed opportunities over both legs: “To be honest, we can say yes and no, because when we played there they had many chances and they only scored two.

“But we knew at Anfield we can maybe do something special. Today we created many chances and I think on the pitch we were the better team today.

“That’s why it’s a little bit unfair. It’s like the last season when we played at home, we created many chances, we had so many opportunities to score, but at the end they had maybe one or two clear chances and they scored. This is football. Sad.”

After the whistle, the defender remained reflective but defiant, insisting Liverpool had shown enough in attack to suggest the tie did not fully tell the story of their performance.

Asked if Liverpool have fallen away from last season, Konate was honest.

“A little bit, after we don’t have to forget what happened this season for us, many things happened and we don’t have to forget that. We bring new players, all of these things.

“But the game of today means a lot of things because against PSG, I think the PSG of this season is a little bit better than the season before and to make a performance like that against them, I don’t say we have to be happy, because we lost, but we have to build from that and realise how good we can be.”