Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League campaign got off to a bad start in Liverpool with a 3-2 defeat at Anfield.
Roberto Firmino's late winner denied Thomas Tuchel's men what would have been a scarcely deserved point after Thomas Meunier and Kylian Mbappe had cancelled out Daniel Sturridge and James Milner's goals.
Positives
There were not too many positives for Tuchel and his men on Merseyside, though they did come close to stealing a point and were not beaten as soundly as they arguably should have been.
Negatives
Plenty. PSG ended up losing by a solitary goal when it should have been a landslide, and they were lucky to score two after scarcely threatening the Liverpool goal over the 90 minutes.
The French champions looked disjointed, and -- although that was partly expected with Marco Verratti suspended and Dani Alves, as well as Lyavin Kurzawa, injured -- it was worrying to see how the lack of depth available to Tuchel has already impeded the team from putting in a coherent showing.
A few players deserved criticism for not doing enough on the night, but the fall guy this time was new boy Juan Bernat, who committed a ludicrous foul to clumsily gift Liverpool a penalty for their second goal.
Manager rating out of 10
5 -- Tuchel's late double introduction of Julian Draxler and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting looked to have paid immediate dividends, as Mbappe equalised moments later, but the France international's sloppy play late on presented Liverpool the chance to kill PSG off just when a draw looked likely.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
GK Alphonse Areola, 6 -- Liverpool's goals, particularly Firmino's late winner, will see him criticised, but the reality is that there was little he could do about Sturridge or Milner's strikes, and he made a number of good saves early on.
DF Thomas Meunier, 6 -- Took his goal well, as controversial as it was, and was generally solid going forward and defending. It is a shame that Bernat was unable to mirror his balance on the left. Booked on the stroke of half-time.
DF Thiago Silva (c), 7 -- With the exception of being one of the players guilty of allowing Sturridge to head Liverpool in front, he was one of PSG's best performers and stood out at the back.
DF Presnel Kimpembe, 6 -- Like Silva, he could have done better on Sturridge's opener, but he was otherwise calm and collected.
DF Juan Bernat, 3 -- Unlike Meunier, Silva and Kimpembe, he lost his cool and conceded the penalty that allowed Liverpool to go 2-0 up. He was rusty against Saint-Etienne and showed at Anfield that Tuchel should not have gambled with him from the start.
MF Marquinhos, 4 -- Put simply, he is not a defensive midfielder. Although he tried his best in the role on the day, the absence of Verratti was not filled, and a lack of control in midfield contributed to the defeat.
MF Adrien Rabiot, 5 -- With Marquinhos and Angel Di Maria doing their best playing out of position, most of the midfield responsibility fell on Rabiot, and he struggled to shoulder that burden.
MF Angel Di Maria, 4 -- Tried to get stuck in as best as he could, but it limited his ability to contribute meaningfully in attack. He was part of a flawed midfield that was ultimately unable to control the match.
FW Neymar, 4 -- Not nearly involved enough. Although it was not all his fault, he stopped looking for the ball as much in the second half. That said, he provided Mbappe with an assist for a short-lived equaliser.
FW Kylian Mbappe, 4 -- Went from hero to villain. Overall, it was a quiet evening, but he came alive when it mattered and equalised before switching off and gifting Liverpool the winner.
FW Edinson Cavani, 3 -- Isolated. He was not really involved, but how could he have been with such inadequate service?
Substitutes
MF Julian Draxler, N/R -- Given the final 10 minutes, he arguably should have done better with a late chance but also could have used longer on the pitch to have more of an impact.
FW Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, N/R -- Offered his teammates a more direct alternative to Cavani and his introduction, along with Draxler, coincided with PSG's equaliser.