Paris-Saint Germain is reportedly brimming with confidence about its chances of overturning a 1-0 deficit to knock Liverpool out and advance to the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday night. The French giants head to Anfield trailing by a single goal after Harvey Elliott’s dramatic late winner handed the Reds an unexpected triumph in Paris last week.
Liverpool has a remarkable history of never failing to progress from the 39 instances where it has won the first leg away in European competition, and Elliott’s strike could be pivotal in this tie. With the legendary Anfield atmosphere as its twelfth man, it’s hardly surprising that Liverpool boasts such an impressive record.
However, PSG seems unfazed, drawing confidence from the dominant display in the first leg last Wednesday. Luis Enrique’s team unleashed 27 shots compared to Liverpool’s two and were thwarted by a stellar performance from Alisson Becker, who himself acknowledged it might have been his finest showing to date.
There are whispers that PSG was ‘taken aback by Liverpool’s level’ and considers both Bayern Munich and Arsenal – teams Liverpool overcame in the group stage – to be more rounded sides than the Merseysiders.
The Parisians are also believed to have been irked by what they perceived as time-wasting tactics from Liverpool, and the squad is now said to be “obsessed” with making amends in the upcoming second le.
“Despite the defeat, PSG is more confident (about qualifying) now than it was before the match,” a club insider disclosed to French outlet L’Équipe. This sentiment echoes the post-match reaction of PSG’s contingent following the unexpected loss on Wednesday, with several key players publicly maintaining their belief that they can overcome the deficit at Anfield.
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Vitinha, Willian Pacho and Achraf Hakimi, along with the visibly irritated Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, all voiced their faith in PSG’s ability to stage a comeback in Liverpool. Manager Enrique certainly showed he was setting his sights on redemption against Liverpool as he announced a significantly altered lineup for his team’s convincing 4-1 win over Rennes on Saturday.
Enrique introduced eight fresh faces into the squad compared to the midweek fixture, with Joao Neves, Bradley Barcola and Willian Pacho being the sole holdovers in the starting XI for Sunday’s match versus Rennes who also commenced the clash with the Reds.
“I think we’ll be in the best possible shape for the Liverpool game,” Enrique declared to journalists post-match. “Our only goal is victory and that’s what we’re targeting.
“Soccer allows for surprises; it is true that we were down and sad after the (first-leg) game but as we have analysed the game and after beating Rennes, which is a difficult team, it makes us hopeful. I repeat, we have nothing to lose, which makes us a more dangerous team than we usually are.”
