Liverpool were beaten on penalties in their Champions League round-of-16 second leg after PSG claimed a 1-0 win in normal time, levelling the scores on aggregate. Salah, 32, failed to get the better of PSG left-back Nuno Nendes in the first leg last week and it was the same story at Anfield on Tuesday.
The Egyptian, who was in tears after the penalty shootout, was one of three Liverpool players to receive a lowly 4/10 from L'Equipe, who are notorious for their harsh ratings. Diogo Jota and Ryan Gravenberch were also marked 4/10, with no Liverpool player getting more than a 7/10.
Two PSG players were given higher ratings, as Mendes' assured display earned him an 8/10 while goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was rewarded with a 9/10 after saving two penalties in the shootout. The Italian wasn't able to stop Salah's effort but the Reds forward proved to be only Liverpool player to score his spot kick, as Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones both missed.
The newspaper's analysis of Salah's performance read as cited by Sports Central: "Overall Salah was annihilated, as in the first leg, by Nuno Mendes, losing a considerable number of duels against him,' they wrote. In addition, the ex-Roma player, who lost possession 31 times (his team's record), also stood out for his inability to properly exploit counter-attacks initiated by his team-mates. "Even if he converted his shot on goal, the Pharaoh's record is therefore largely insufficient in his confrontations against PSG, the team he has faced the most in his Champions League career without ever finding the goal."
L'Equipe also didn't pull any punches when it came to discussing Jota, saying. "He initially showed some nervousness, immediately committing a big foul on Achraf Hakimi that would have deserved a yellow card, before showing clumsiness by missing the target with his header and with a long-range shot. "In the end, the Portuguese, who has only won two of the ten duels he has played, had little impact, logically leaving his place to Darwin Nunez, who missed his shot on goal."
Liverpool manager Arne Slot was relatively happy with his team's performance and he'll need to keep morale in the camp high ahead of Sunday's Carabao Cup final. The Reds face Newcastle at Wembley with the aim of winning their first trophy under Slot.
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