Liverpool’s head coach Arne Slot admits that his team will have to produce his best performance of the season to ensure that the progress of the Champions League against “the most complete team we have confronted”.
After having endured the most difficult night of his reign of Anfield – and the most difficult for players for a long time – in the Parc des Princes last week, but which takes over a 1-0 victory, the Dutchman knows that they must increase their game for the second floor of their last equality against Paris Saint -Germain.
The conference in the French capital after Liverpool seized a back victory on the wall was that PSG had met better teams in the form of Bayern Munich and Arsenal this season.
However, Slot has promised that they would be more proactive and do not sit on their advantage.
“Is there a difference [leading 1-0]? No. We are trying to play every game to try to win, “he said.
“This is also what we tried to do last week, it was not our intention to be so low [deep] All the time.
“”[On Tuesday] We want to play a different game, the intention is always the same – we are not going to go for a draw.
“In Manchester City, it was not the situation, at PSG, it was not the situation. But we trust our home game against City where we had the ball much more and it was much more an equal game.”
When asked if it would require their best performance under him so far, Slot has added: “Yes. I think. This is the most complete team that we have encountered so far.
“We faced Arsenal and City and these are not big margins but the intensity [PSG] Play combined with quality – and they are one of the richest clubs – and a large manager with which it is not easy to play. “”
“PSG has improved since Arsenal and Bayern losses”
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James Pearce of The Athletic joined Vinny O’Connor to react to Liverpool’s victory at the Champions League against PSG in the first leg of the Champions League.
Statisticians predicted that Liverpool, incredibly, had 84% chance of progressing and the story would seem to be on their side, because on the previous 39 occasions, they won the European first leg they crossed.
Their record in Anfield is great, having lost only once – in September – since April, having won all their other home games except two this season.
“Some of them said that Arsenal and Bayern Munich were better than us. This is what I heard,” said Slot on the French view of his team.
“I think what it has to do is how PSG has improved a lot in two to three months since they played in Arsenal and Bayern.
“In Arsenal, they were lower, were waiting much more and now they simply press the field and take the risk of one-v-un constant.
“I cannot influence what they felt – and I don’t even know if it’s true or not – but I hope they have a different opinion after [Tuesday]. “”
Slot was stimulated by the return of striker Cody Gakpo after an injury.
The boss of PSG Enrique says that the winner of Tie will reach final
The boss of PSG, Luis Enrique, aims to win the Champions League for the second time as a manager
PSG head coach Luis Enrique believes that the team prevailing in their match on a tie at the last 16th row against Liverpool in Anfield will be the finalists of the Champions League.
“The most important game is the one that comes then and I hope he [the most important game] Will be the last of the season, “he said.
“Even if we extend from the first step, we will play our own game from the start. Whatever the result [in Paris] We will not do anything different.
“For the moment, we have released, so our only option is to go out and win and that is what motivates us. I do not think that Arne Slot has a lot of doubts about our departure XI, I also have my ideas on his departure XI.
“I’m not going to give who we are going to play or how we are going to play, but in two games, we will see two of the best teams in Europe, two contenders for the final and the one who goes through the final.”
Enrique is convinced that his team can face the pressure in a “historic stadium”.
“I am quite convinced that each of my players will want to play,” he added.
“We know what Liverpool means with a historical stage and a wonderful story. It is a huge source of motivation for players and we want to show that we are able to make a performance.
“It is difficult to manage your emotions and feelings, they are not easy to prepare games and it is not easy to be 100%.
“But you don’t want to be at 105 or 110% because you could get away, so you have to manage your emotions in the best possible way.”
Why the link of the PSG Champions League with Liverpool is far from finished
Rich Morgan of Sky Sports:
Liverpool can apparently have a quarter-final foot of the Champions League after last week’s 1-0 victory in Paris Saint-Germain, but the slot team would make a huge mistake if they underestimated the task in front of them when the Champions of Ligue 1 will visit Anfield for the return meeting.
History is certainly against Parisians when they go to Merseyside. Of the 27 previous teams to lose the first leg at home in a draw in the Champions League, only three increased.
Meanwhile, on seven occasions, Liverpool won the first leg at his home, they won the return match three times, drawing twice and losing twice.
PSG must be warned, however, that even when the Reds lost the return match in Anfield, they still managed to spend the twice, in the last 16 against Barcelona in 2006/07 and Inter Milan in 2021/22.
In fact, only once, Liverpool has never won the first stage of a draw in the Champions League and was eliminated, as happened when the Gerard Houlier team beat Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 in Anfield in the last eight in 2001/02, to go out after a 4-2 defeat at La Bayarena.
However, while the chances may seem very stacked against PSG in the quarter -finals – Skybet gives them 7/4 chances of winning in Anfield – there are many reasons to hope for the side of Luis Enrique.
Read the reasons why there is hope for PSG here.
