“Wayne Rooney criticizes ‘lazy’ Liverpool star after PSG defeat, calling their performance ‘wrong in multiple ways.'”

“Wayne Rooney blasts ‘lazy’ Virgil van Dijk for costly mistake in PSG defeat”

Wayne Rooney did not hold back in his criticism of Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, accusing him of laziness in the lead-up to Paris Saint-Germain’s opening goal.

Ousmane Dembélé’s strike at Anfield brought PSG level in the tie after Liverpool’s 1-0 win in Paris last week. The French side eventually triumphed on penalties, knocking Arne Slot’s team out of the Champions League— a major setback for a side tipped as potential winners.

Rooney, speaking on Prime Video Sport (via Metro), was particularly unimpressed with Van Dijk’s positioning and effort, saying:

“This goal from Liverpool’s point of view is wrong in so many different ways. They’re pressing, but Van Dijk gets lazy. Watch him—he’s walking, leaving a huge gap for Dembele.”

He further explained that Van Dijk failed to close down Dembele, allowing him too much space, while Ibrahima Konaté also didn’t react quickly enough, leading to an easy finish.

Despite Van Dijk’s usual reliability, this moment proved costly for Liverpool, who struggled throughout the tie. Even their win in Paris was largely thanks to Alisson Becker’s heroics, as the Brazilian made a string of crucial saves. Ultimately, PSG’s dominance paid off as they secured a deserved victory.