PSGs Resurgence: A Team Remade and Reborn Knocks Liverpool Out of Champions League

For years, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) had been a team synonymous with disappointment in the Champions League. A decade of crashes and collapses, despite colossal expectations, had left fans and pundits questioning their ability to compete on the European stage. The club had been plagued by megastars who never jelled and superteams that underwhelmed, resulting in the departure of their last star in 2024. However, without these stars, PSG proved that they were better than ever. On Tuesday, PSG stunned Liverpool with an early goal, erasing an unlucky first-leg deficit and knocking the Premier League leaders out of the Champions League. They won the second leg 1-0 and the tie on penalties, sending Liverpool packing and writing a new chapter in their history. The players who remained, once overshadowed by stars like Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi, buzzed around Anfield on an unforgettable night. They played with fire but also with poise, and got the result that their first-leg dominance merited. In that first leg last week, Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson was immense, but PSG outshot the Reds 27-2 and somehow lost 1-0. Most players would have been demoralized by the outcome, but PSG's response was different. The players reportedly walked around their dressing room and told one another, "We'll win next week." They had proven that night and confirmed once again on Tuesday that they are one of the best teams in the world. Ousmane Dembélé, once branded a flop at multiple clubs and renowned for his erratic finishing, scored his 24th goal of the last three months to put PSG ahead in the 12th minute. Liverpool threatened constantly and struck the inside of two different posts, but the Parisians held strong for 120 minutes. In the shootout, Vitinha opened with a calm pass past Alisson, Gonçalo Ramos converted with ease, Dembélé scored with his right foot after looping around the ball, and Gianluigi Donnarumma denied Darwin Nuñez and Curtis Jones. Désiré Doué, all of 19 years old, finished the job with PSG's fourth kick. A cast of new stars sprinted toward him, and Dembélé jumped into the arms of head coach Luis Enrique, who has masterminded the transformation of PSG from a superteam into a good team. Enrique has empowered Dembélé, Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, and Fabian Ruiz. He has integrated new signings like William Pacho and João Neves. They are the new stars whose names weren't widely known when they arrived in Paris last summer. They haven't replaced Mbappé, who jumped to Real Madrid in June, but they have allowed PSG to reboot without him. They have enabled a fearsome press that Mbappé essentially refused to partake in. And the result? PSG hasn't lost in France this season and has now outlasted Liverpool. PSG is writing a new story. It was written off as a contender long ago, but now it is reborn as a team hitting its stride at an opportune moment. This is a team that could absolutely do what Mbappé did for them before he left: lead them to glory on the European stage.