Liverpool head to Paris in poor shape for a PSG tie that could define their season
Liverpool fly into Paris on Wednesday for a tie they probably did not want this early, against possibly the hottest team left in the Champions League. PSG and Liverpool kick off their quarter-final first leg at the Parc des Princes, and almost every pre-match indicator points one way.
PSG are top of Ligue 1, comfortably. Luis Enrique's side tore Chelsea apart over two legs in the round of 16 to get here, winning 8-2 on aggregate, and they go into the tie with a long unbeaten run of matches in which they have scored. There is a reason the bookmakers are not offering much on a home win.
Liverpool arrive in bad form
Arne Slot's side, by contrast, are limping. They sit fifth in the Premier League, miles off Arsenal at the top, and their last match was a chastening 4-0 beating at Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals. Three straight away defeats is not the form line you want before a trip to Paris.
Their last time out in this competition was friendlier. Liverpool finished off Galatasaray with a 4-0 second-leg win to reach the last eight. That was then. Since then the injuries have mounted, the league form has dipped, and Slot has had to juggle a squad that keeps losing its senior players.
Who is available
Mohamed Salah is back from a recent injury and will lead the line on the right. Alexander Isak is in the squad after a long lay-off from a lower leg problem but is not expected to start, with Slot keeping him as a bench option while he builds up fitness. Alisson Becker is not available. Jeremie Frimpong is likely to start at right-back.
For the hosts, Bradley Barcola has returned to training but is not fit enough for the match. Fabian Ruiz is out with a knee issue. Luis Enrique rotated heavily in Ligue 1 last weekend, which is a pretty obvious sign that the usual spine of Vitinha, Joao Neves, Nuno Mendes and Marquinhos will all line up here.
What Liverpool need
Anything less than a clean sheet becomes very difficult for Liverpool to come back from at Anfield next week. PSG have been too good, too often, for any side to expect to go in level on aggregate after a heavy first-leg defeat. Slot has been saying the obvious thing in pre-match press, which is that Liverpool cannot afford to switch off in Paris.
What makes it interesting is that Liverpool, at their best, are the sort of side that can suffocate PSG's midfield runners. The question is whether this version, carrying all these injuries and with confidence shot, can find 90 minutes of that version. If they can, a draw is not outlandish. If they cannot, this tie could be effectively over by Wednesday night.
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