SOCCER: Red-hot PSG beat Liverpool 2-0 in quarter-final first leg

Goals from Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia spurred holders Paris St Germain to a 2-0 home win over Liverpool in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday (April 8).

Doue and Kvaratskhelia struck either side of halftime to give Luis Enrique’s side a solid advantage ahead of next week’s return at Anfield, where PSG booked their place in the last eight last season.

Doue opened the scoring with a deflected effort before Kvaratskhelia doubled the lead with a superb solo run and finish, but PSG wasted a handful of chances that would have further strengthened their bid to reach the semi-finals.

Liverpool, thrashed 4-0 by Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals at the weekend, set up cautiously with three centre backs and Mohamed Salah on the bench, but struggled to contain a PSG side that mixed patient possession with bursts of attacking intensity.

-Antony Pane, Christian Hartmann, Lee Smith, Stephanie Lecocq, Conal Quinn/Reuters