PSG aim to extend Liverpool’s woes as the teams clash again in the Champions League

PARIS, April 7 — When Paris Saint-Germain faced Liverpool in last season’s Champions League, Liverpool were on course to the Premier League title and were described as “an almost perfect team” by PSG coach Luis Enrique.

A year on, the tables have turned. PSG appear strong favourites as the two sides meet again in the Champions League quarter-finals, with the first leg scheduled in Paris tomorrow.

PSG’s penalty shootout victory over Liverpool in the last 16 last season was pivotal in their push for a first-ever Champions League title. They overturned a 1-0 home defeat in a first leg they dominated and held their nerve at Anfield, while the two clubs have since followed very different paths.

Liverpool, under Arne Slot, initially maintained momentum but have struggled this season. Their confidence is particularly low following a 4-0 FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Manchester City, with Slot lamenting a lack of fighting spirit and captain Virgil van Dijk admitting it will be “very difficult” for Liverpool to bounce back against PSG.

“But we have a responsibility—not just to ourselves, but to the fans. If we want to salvage this season, we have to try to achieve something special in the next three games,” Van Dijk said, with the Champions League tie sandwiched around a challenging Fulham fixture.

Liverpool have won only one of their last five matches and suffered 15 defeats this season, leaving their main objective as securing a return to Europe’s top tier from their current fifth-place Premier League position.

PSG, meanwhile, have faced injury setbacks but seem to be hitting form at the right time. A 3-1 victory over Toulouse last Friday, highlighted by a stunning goal from reigning Ballon d’Or Ousmane Dembele, extended their Ligue 1 lead to four points over Lens with a game in hand.

Yet the Champions League remains the priority—the French league even agreed to postpone PSG’s trip to Lens to allow full focus on Liverpool.

“I think we’ve shown consistently that we’re ready, regardless of the competition, though there are always areas to improve,” warned Luis Enrique. Dembele is fit and firing, while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia provided inspiration in PSG’s 8-2 aggregate demolition of Chelsea last round. Wednesday’s match marks PSG’s 14th game against Premier League opposition since January 2025.

One concern for PSG is their goalkeeping. Gianluigi Donnarumma, the hero of last season’s shootout against Liverpool, now at Manchester City, has not been fully replaced. Lucas Chevalier was signed as his successor but has lost his spot to Matvey Safonov, who recently made two costly errors.

“A goalkeeper is like any other player; mistakes happen, that’s normal in football,” said Luis Enrique.

For Liverpool, Hugo Ekitike could be a key figure. The club’s top scorer this season with 17 goals, Ekitike faces the club where he previously struggled. He joined PSG from Reims in 2022 but scored only four goals in 18 months before moving to Eintracht Frankfurt. Now back in France, he is a genuine contender to start for the national team at the World Cup.

“Hugo is a fantastic player, really in form—we just hope he’s not playing against us,” said Dembele, his international teammate. — AFP