Virgil van Dijk cut a frustrated figure after Liverpool’s exit from the Champions League, declaring that “knocking on the door is not enough.”
After failing to have a single shot on target in Paris, Liverpool returned for the second leg with more impetus, yet still only managed five on target from 21 shots.
The Reds offered an improved effort but with no reward, with PSG instead showing off their ruthlessness with two second-half goals to send Arne Slot‘s side packing for the second successive season.
Van Dijk stopped for reporters in the mixed zone after the defeat and cut a despondent figure, emphasising that giving everything was the “bare minimum.”
“It’s the bare minimum, isn’t it?” Van Dijk responded when it was put to him that Liverpool gave it a good go. “It’s disappointing to be knocked out. But PSG deserved to go through.
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“Knocking on the door is not enough. I’m just disappointed that we got knocked out. And that’s reality.”
PSG finished the tie with four unanswered goals, with 30 shots (12 on target) compared to Liverpool’s 24 (five on target), leaving the captain under no illusions over who deserved to progress.
“I just said, PSG deserved to go through…I think PSG deserved to go through based on two games in total,” he said matter-of-factly.
Virgil van Dijk: “Not in a good place”
Van Dijk was a vocal and gesticulative throughout the second leg, consistently urging his defenders to keep pushing up the pitch and not to let the intensity drop.
Unfortunately, it was not enough, and the disappointment was written all over his face throughout the brief exchange with reporters, who then asked how the squad would motivate themselves for Sunday’s Merseyside derby.
“Ah, listen, I think we should be very disappointed at this stage. But a massive game waits for us. We all know how big it is,” the Dutchman said.
“It will obviously be a tough one, but something to look forward to. But at this stage, I’m just not in a good place because we got knocked out of the Champions League.”
Liverpool now have six games left in the Premier League season to ensure they qualify for the competition next season. They are currently fifth and four points ahead of Chelsea in sixth.