Liverpool's Champions League hopes are hanging by a thread after a dominant 2-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-final first leg. Head coach Arne Slot didn't mince words post-match, admitting his side was thoroughly outplayed and spent much of the contest in "survival mode."

"Paris Saint-Germain was by far the better team today and could have scored more than two goals," Slot conceded after the final whistle in the French capital. "But the good thing was the Liverpool players showed fighting spirit and kept going."

The stats tell a stark story of PSG's control: 70% possession and 18 attempts on goal dwarfed Liverpool's mere three. Desire Doue's deflected opener set the tone early, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia sealing the commanding win after the hour mark.

Facing intense scrutiny, Slot defended his tactical shift to a three-man central defense, featuring Joe Gomez alongside Ibrahima Konaté and Virgil van Dijk. He also explained the surprising omission of Mohamed Salah from the pitch entirely, even as a substitute.

"The last part of the game it was more about surviving for us than it was ever about scoring," Slot said regarding Salah. "For Mo to be 20 to 25 minutes defending in his own box, I think it is better for him to save his energy for a lot of games we have coming up."

With just one win in their last six matches across all competitions, Liverpool's season is at a critical juncture. They sit fifth in the Premier League and now face a monumental task to overturn this deficit at Anfield next Tuesday.

Despite the bleak outlook, Slot insisted hope remains. "We didn't give up and that is why we still have a chance in this tie," he stated, pointing to the famous European nights that define Anfield. First, however, the Reds must regroup for a crucial Premier League clash against Fulham this weekend.