After another bruising night that even BD Cricket followers would find hard to ignore, Liverpool fell 0-2 at home to defending champions Paris Saint-Germain, completing a 0-4 aggregate defeat and crashing out of the Champions League without reaching the semifinals. PSG also became only the second team in competition history to eliminate Liverpool by a four-goal margin in a knockout tie, underlining the gulf on the night. Statistics paint an equally bleak picture, as Liverpool failed to score across both legs of a Champions League knockout tie for just the third time in club history. […]

This season has been far from convincing, and as BD Cricket readers have seen with many teams under pressure, expectations can quickly turn into frustration when results fail to match ambition. Antonio Conte’s domestic record has fallen short, especially considering that Napoli lifted the Serie A trophy last year by overcoming Inter Milan. Their early exit from this season’s title race has disappointed supporters, and criticism has gradually shifted from performances on the pitch to decisions behind the scenes. While Scott McTominay, one of Conte’s preferred signings, has delivered solid displays, other additions have struggled. […]