In The Zone: How clinical Ousmane Dembélé inspired Paris to Liverpool win
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
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UEFA Technical Observer Ange Postecoglou hails Ousmane Dembélé's clinical masterclass in Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League quarter-final triumph at Liverpool.
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"We take a lot of risks and it means at any moment we can have a counterattack and kill off the game," said Luis Enrique reflecting on his Paris side's UEFA Champions League quarter-final second-leg victory at Anfield against Liverpool. "It happened later than I was thinking, but in the end we did it," he added.
The Paris coach was explaining the attacking menace of his front three and his belief that eventually they would capitalise on the space afforded on the counter by a Liverpool team who, seeking to overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit, were pushing with impressive intensity for a goal in the second half on Tuesday night.
"We knew with the space and the risks they were taking it would be easier," added Luis Enrique. Referring to the attacking abilities of forwards like Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Bradley Barcola, he expanded: "There's more space and with the players we have – very quick attackers – at any moment [they'll score] as happened with the first goal."
Liverpool had 17 attempts on goal to their visitors' four in that second period but, as we will show in the following video analysis brought to you by FedEx, the defending champions produced the clinical touch with Ousmane Dembélé's two late goals.
From a team perspective, a key detail about his 72nd-minute breakthrough strike is that, by that stage, the game had become stretched and Paris had numbers up the pitch when Liverpool's attack broke down.
Then the quality of Player of the Match Dembélé made the difference as, for the second year running, he found the net at Anfield in the knockout phase.
"He's almost unique in the ability on both sides to look really comfortable in his execution, and that's why he's such a threat."
Praising the quality of Dembélé's finishing with both feet, UEFA Technical Observer Ange Postecoglou explained: "There's a real technique and composure that he shows in his finishing ability. With the enormity of the night and the tension, it can be easy to lose that technical ability to slow it down in the moment of action."
"For the first goal I just wanted to place the ball," said the player himself. "On the second Bradley [Barcola] did an incredible job." As Liverpool coach Arne Slot added, the match winner's quality "tells you why he won the Ballon d'Or" – and why Paris are in the semi-finals for the third year running.
Having established his coaching reputation in Australia, Greece-born Ange Postecoglou took his attacking style of play to Europe, winning a domestic double and then a domestic treble in two seasons at Celtic, before steering Tottenham to UEFA Europa League glory in 2024/25.
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