PSG's Revival After the End of the Megastar Era

LIVERPOOL, WEDNESDAY — Over the past decade, Paris Saint-Germain has developed a habit of assembling megastars, but the result has often been their collapse in major European matches. However, PSG's victory over Liverpool serves as evidence that the Galacticos-like era has come to an end.

PSG advanced to the quarter-finals of the Champions League after winning a penalty shootout, 4-1, against Liverpool at Anfield Stadium, early Wednesday morning (12/3/2025) Western Indonesian Time. Having trailed 0-1 in the first leg, Luis Enrique's team responded with a 1-0 victory in the second leg.

The match concluded with a penalty shootout after the score remained unchanged until the end of extra time. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma emerged as the hero by saving two penalty kicks from Liverpool's executors, Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones.

The victory was the result of their new approach in building the squad, prioritizing team balance over assembling superstars. PSG did not lose their sharpness following the departure of Kylian Mbappe; in fact, they have become one of the strong contenders for the championship after eliminating Liverpool, the top-ranked team in the league phase of the Champions League.

Before that victory, PSG had been the subject of ridicule across Europe due to their habit of collapsing in major Champions League matches in spectacular fashion. One notable instance was when they were crushed by Barcelona in 2017. Despite carrying a 4-0 lead from their first-leg win during their away match at Nou Camp, they were eliminated after losing 1-6 in the second leg.

To erase those bad memories, as well as fulfill their championship ambitions, PSG went all out in the transfer market by purchasing Mbappe and Neymar, which were among the biggest transfers in football history. They did manage to reach the Champions League final in 2020 but failed to secure the title, before being eliminated by Manchester City in the semifinals a year later.

PSG repeated the same approach by pursuing a megastar. Without hesitation, one of the greatest players in history, Lionel Messi, was then brought in. However, the results were no better; PSG drifted even further from their dream of winning the Champions League, until the arrival of Enrique in 2023.

They made it to the semi-finals last season with Mbappe as their spearhead, but lost to Borussia Dortmund. The defeat brought back memories of previous failures. Moreover, they will lose Mbappe to Real Madrid.

However, Enrique is confident that PSG will be better off by letting Mbappe go. The former Barcelona coach's belief has been proven.

The second leg of the Champions League last 16 against Liverpool was a stark contrast to the games when PSG were humiliated by Barcelona, Manchester United and Real Madrid in previous seasons. Marquinhos and his friends performed brilliantly in the first leg despite losing 0-1, making them face a tough match against the Premier League leaders who have only lost once at home this season.

However, PSG looked confident and managed to take an early lead in the first half through Ousmane Dembele's goal, to level the aggregate at 1-1. It was the only goal in 120 minutes of play in which PSG were able to withstand waves of Liverpool players.

Donnarumma was brilliant, saving his goal several times from the threat of Liverpool's attackers. PSG also had several chances through Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue.

"We showed that we are a real team," Enrique told Canal Plus after the match.

PSG have had a slow start to the Champions League this season, losing to Arsenal, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich in the league, drawing sharp criticism of Enrique for refusing to play a pure striker in his game plan.

However, that is all but a distant memory because of how phenomenal PSG's play has been over the last three months, including scoring 21 goals in five consecutive wins in Europe, before facing Liverpool.

Dembele has become one of the most feared strikers, scoring 24 goals in 19 matches since mid-December 2024. Kvaratskhelia, who was brought in during the January transfer window, performed brilliantly against Liverpool, even receiving applause from the home fans when he was withdrawn in extra time.

Doue has been one of the best young talents to come off the bench, while midfielders Vitinha and Joao Neves combine technique with endless energy. The arrival of Ecuadorian defender Willian Pacho completes a formidable back line, alongside Marquinhos and wing-backs Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes.

“There are no limits, but we still have to improve,” said Marquinhos, the only PSG player left from the 2017 massacre in Barcelona.

PSG also have a very young squad, with the average age of their starting players under 25, compared to Liverpool's nearly 28. Five of their starting players are 24 or younger, while two of their substitutes, Doue and Warren Zaire-Emery, are only 19.

“This is just the beginning,” said Enrique when asked if they were at the top of their game.

PSG will likely face Aston Villa in the quarter-finals. Villa will host Club Brugge in the match on Thursday (13/3/2025) early morning WIB, with a 3-1 advantage from the first meeting. Unai Emery, Villa's coach, was PSG's coach when they were beaten by Barca.

In addition to PSG, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Barcelona also made it to the quarter-finals. Bayern eliminated Leverkusen, Inter beat Feyenoord and Barcelona beat Benfica. (AFP)