Wayne Rooney accused Virgil van Dijk of "lazy" defending for PSG's decisive goal as Liverpool crashed out of Champions League on Tuesday night.
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Rooney blamed Van Dijk for Dembele's goalPointed out Liverpool's defensive errorsReds crashed out of Champions LeagueFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
Liverpool carried a one-goal advantage to Anfield for the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 fixture against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, but Ousmane Dembele was quick to draw the French side level on aggregate as he scored the opener in the 12th minute of the match. The goal proved pivotal for the French champions, who eventually progressed to the quarter-finals after a 4-1 penalty shootout victory.
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Ex-Manchester United star and pundit Wayne Rooney was extremely critical of Reds talisman Van Dijk as he claimed that the Dutchman didn't make enough effort to stay with Dembele before his decisive goal. Speaking on , Rooney said: "This goal from Liverpool’s point of view is wrong in so many different ways. They are trying to press the ball, Van Dijk gets lazy. If you watch Van Dijk, he leaves a massive gap [to Dembele]. If you switch off for one second at this level, you get punished."
Getty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE
The 39-year-old also claimed that the Ligue 1 giants deserved to progress to the next round as they were the better side over the two legs. "When you lose in a penalty shoot-out, it hurts – it’s cruel when you lose on penalties. PSG, I think, over the two legs, were probably the better team… probably deserved to go through and will be delighted. The penalties were fantastic. You can see PSG have worked on their penalties," Rooney added.
AFPWHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?
After the disappointment in Europe, Arne Slot's wounded Liverpool team will aim to bag their first trophy of the season as they take on Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup on Sunday.
