Paris Saint-Germain produced probably the best performance that Liverpool has faced this season in last week’s Champions League last-16 first leg, but still emerged from the game with a one-goal deficit.
Alisson was in inspired form between the sticks for the Reds in the French capital, and Harvey Elliott was responsible for securing the smash-and-grab victory as he came off the bench to score a late goal.
Under the lights at Anfield, Liverpool is the strong favorite to finish the job and eliminate a club that has developed a reputation for capitulating in Europe over the last decade.
PSG has suffered humiliating exits at the hands of Manchester United, Barcelona and Real Madrid in recent years, but there is the sense that Luis Enrique might have ridded the Parisians of their soft center in recent times.
The French giant can go some way to proving that by achieving one of the most difficult feats in world soccer: eliminating Liverpool at Anfield in the Champions League.
PSG made eight changes to the team that lined up against Liverpool last week, as Enrique’s men beat Rennes 4-1 in Ligue 1 on Saturday; Willian Pacho, Joao Neves and Bradley Barcola were the only players to stay in, and Neves and Barcola were both withdrawn before full-time, with Enrique clearly keen to keep the pair fresh for the European challenge ahead.
Ousmane Dembele emerged as a second-half substitute in Rennes to continue his incredible season, scoring two more goals to take his tally to 28 in 35 games.
The Frenchman will undoubtedly be back in PSG’s starting line-up at Anfield, and the other seven players who were rested to some degree over the weekend probably will be too.
There’s a high likelihood that both line-ups will be unchanged from the first leg, with neither team dealing with any fresh injury concerns or suspensions.
Predicted Paris Saint-Germain line-up versus Liverpool: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Vitinha, Neves, Ruiz; Barcola, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia.
