Paris St Germain: Lama, Ngotty, Le Guen, Leonardo, Guerin,
Rai, Loko (Pouget 83), Fournier, Cauet, Leroy (Allou 87), Domi
(Algerino 41).
Subs Not Used: Dely-Valdes, Fernandez.
Goals: Cauet 43, Leonardo 11, Leroy 84.
Liverpool: James, Matteo, Bjornebye, Wright, McAteer, Harkness,
McManaman, Collymore (Thomas 46), Fowler, Barnes, Redknapp.
Subs Not Used: Warner, Ruddock, Berger, Babb.
Booked: Harkness.
Att: 35,142
Ref: H Krugg (Germany).
From Martin Lipton, PA Sport, Paris
A double blunder by calamity keeper David James virtually killed off Liverpool's European Cup Winners' Cup hopes as the holders made them suffer by the Seine. James' Anfield horror-show against Coventry on Sunday had cost Roy Evans' men the chance of going top of the Premiership. And tonight he was in the Merseysiders' doghouse once again with two shocking errors that gifted the classy French outfit the first two of their goals from right-wing crosses by attacking midfielder Jerome Leroy. From the first he failed to make proper contact with his punch, allowing Brazilian Leonardo to poke home from close range. And nerves betrayed the England keeper once more when he committed another howler just before the break, Benoit Cauet taking full advantage to find the back of the Liverpool net.
Liverpool did have chances of their own, Robbie Fowler being denied twice and missing a great opportunity in first-half stoppage time, while Steve McManaman was wrongly robbed of what would have been a vital away goal by an offside flag in the first minute of the second period. But six minutes from time the Reds caved in again when substitute Cyrille Pouget's first touch set up Leroy for the simplest of goals to make a thankless task look almost impossible.
While Liverpool's last Euro adventure against French opposition saw them retrieve a two-goal deficit against Auxerre in 1991, PSG are made of stronger stuff. It will need a super show in a fortnight for Evans' men to convert their 11th European semi-final into a ninth final appearance. And only the most one-eyed of Liverpool fans would claim that they deserved any better after being run ragged by the pace and poise of the Parisians.
What Liverpool, with Stan Collymore risked and Mark Wright in for Bjorn Kvarme, needed above all was the sort of solid start that the great Anfield teams of old managed. Yet it never seemed likely. Within two minutes PSG were beginning to take advantage of the wide-open spaces of the Parc des Princes, exposing the shakiness at the heart of the Reds' back division. James saved from Cauet's shot then, but needed Dominic Matteo's help when his right flank was exposed soon afterwards. And even when they had an escape with Patrice Loko's effort ruled out for offside, they failed to heed the warning. The first goal duly arrived in the 11th minute. Slackness on the left allowed Leroy room to cross, but James was still favourite to clear it. However, his punch turned into a tame half-jab, the ball fell to Cauet and while James saved his first effort, the midfielder seized on the loose ball to cross for Leonardo to turn home from five yards.
It was just what Liverpool did not need and stoked up the fervent atmosphere, the French fans sensing a night of delight. That might not have been the case if Fowler had enjoyed a bit of fortune in front of goal during Liverpool's best period of the match. First, with McManaman belatedly joining the action and Liverpool trying to use the big pitch, he produced a powerful header from Stig Bjornebye's left-wing cross that Bernard Lama saved above his head. The save was more spectacular than was necessary, although Lama did then show superb reflexes when Collymore's clever ball put Fowler in behind Paul Le Guen.
But just as Liverpool seemed to have brought the match into something approaching equilibrium, James blundered again. Once more there was nothing special about Leroy's cross, but it went right through the keeper's fingers. Leonardo was alive to the situation, nodding the ball back, and although Cauet's shot was not the best, it had the direction to bobble in off a post past two goalline defenders. Fowler wasted an excellent chance to haul the Reds back into the match from Collymore's injury-time pass, failing to hit the target when he should have done.
That was Collymore's final act, Evans dragging him off at the break and sending on Michael Thomas in a bid to plug the gaps. Within a minute of the restart Liverpool should have been back in the game. Bjornebye crossed from the left, Fowler knocked down and McManaman -- now pushed further forward -- found the net with a diving header. Replays showed that Le Guen had played him onside, but the flag was up and the effort wrongly chalked off by the German referee. Liverpool's mood was not helped when Steve Harkness received a caution that rules him out of the return. Although the jittery James was having a nightmare, Thomas' introduction had given Liverpool a platform to attack. Mark Wright should have hit the target from Bjornebye's corner when Lama blundered and the travelling fans were heard for almost the first time.
Yet PSG still had that bit extra. James made saves from Cauet and Leroy, and was happy when Cauet's effort whistled past an upright as the French side looked for the third goal. It seemed as if Liverpool might hold on, but within a minute of replacing the lively Loko, Pouget took advantage of their wilting legs to tee up Leroy, who made no mistake.
Angry Roy Evans tonight launched a blistering broadside at his Kop flops after their European hopes were virtually destroyed in 90 minutes at the Parc des Princes. The Liverpool boss watched in woe as two howlers from David James presented gift goals to Brazilian Leonardo and midfielder Benoit Cauet. Liverpool then leaked another shocker at the end with Jerome Leroy crashing in the third and Evans did not even try to hide his utter frustration.
"We were poor from start to finish and never looked like getting anything," blasted Evans. "In European games you can't get away with that. There will be a lot of soul searching now. I don't think anybody did themselves any credit." Evans hauled off the ineffective Stan Collymore after 45 lacklustre minutes although his criticisms went from one to eleven. "I cannot believe that I have seen a Liverpool performance showing so little passion and pride," said Evans. "That's the real disappointment for me. I'm not saying we're out of it because anything's possible, but our chances are 20 per cent at best. "Of course at Anfield we can be a different team. There's many famous victories there but it will really have to be one of them if we're to get through. "It's really difficult to explain. I don't think I've ever seen us play as poorly. We didn't defend, we didn't attack and we were never up to the pace of the game."
Of James, who is turning the blunder into a personal art form, Evans admitted: "Things aren't going for him at the moment. "Over the whole season he's been confident, coming and getting balls all season, but now a bit of uncertainty has crept in. "To be fair to him though we looked uncertain at the back all night." Paris coach Ricardo admitted his side had never played better, although he suggested he was not surprised at Liverpool's dreadful show. "I don't think they expected us to press like that and weren't ready for that sort of game from us," he said. "But it's not over yet. I know we've got the advantage, but I'm not going to let anybody think this tie is over and done with."