UCL: Arne Slot explains Mohamed Salah’s absence in Liverpool’s defeat to PSG

Liverpool FC manager Arne Slot has clarified his decision to leave out Mohamed Salah during his side’s disappointing defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final.

The Egyptian forward was notably absent as Liverpool suffered a 2-0 loss at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night, a result that leaves the English side with a steep challenge ahead in the return leg.

PSG asserted control early in the match, taking the lead in the 11th minute through Désiré Doué before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia doubled the advantage in the second half. The victory puts the French champions in a commanding position, with Liverpool now needing a three-goal margin at Anfield to keep their semi-final hopes alive.

Slot opted to start with an attacking trio of Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike, but the gamble failed to pay off. Liverpool struggled badly in attack, failing to register a single shot on target throughout the contest.

According to Opta, Liverpool recorded an expected goals (xG) value of just 0.17, the lowest under Slot in all competitions, underlining the team’s lack of attacking threat.

The decision not to introduce Salah, even as the team chased the game, quickly became the central talking point after the final whistle. Slot, however, defended his approach, suggesting that damage limitation took priority over an all-out attempt to equalise.

“We wanted to survive… The idea of holding onto the (2-0) result until next week at Anfield outweighed the need to get back into the game itself as Luis Enrique’s team dominated the proceedings.”

He continued: “In the latter part of the game, it was more about survival than getting a chance to score.”

Slot also referenced a similar scenario from the past, pointing out how late-game dynamics can shift unexpectedly.

“Nobody knows, last season (the first leg against Paris) we scored a goal five minutes before the end of the match through Harvey Elliott when I took Salah off.”

Emphasising a longer-term perspective, the Liverpool boss explained that conserving Salah’s energy was also a key factor in his decision.

“We defended for 20-25 minutes inside the penalty area, and I think it’s better to save Salah’s energy for the upcoming matches in the coming weeks.”

With the tie finely poised despite the deficit, all eyes will now turn to Anfield, where Liverpool must produce a remarkable turnaround to keep their Champions League campaign alive.