Mohamed Salah has claimed Paris Saint-Germain is the best side in Europe and admitted Liverpool was incredibly lucky to beat the reigning French champions earlier this year.
PSG and its cast of superstar galacticos has often struggled with the pressure and expectation in the Champions League, and has been on the receiving end of several high-profile exits over the years. But the new, less glamorous iteration under the guise of Luis Enrique has taken the tournament by storm in this season’s knockout rounds.
After eliminating Premier League champions Liverpool in the last 16, it beat Aston Villa over two legs to set up a semi-final meeting with another English side. Now it’s only Arsenal standing in PSG’s way of a second Champions League final.
PSG leads 1-0 from the first leg at the Emirates and is heavy favorite to progress to the final on Wednesday.
Salah knows only too well how impressive the Parisians are after Liverpool’s encounters this season. Despite winning at the Parc des Princes, the Reds were indebted to Alisson on the night as he made nine saves to deny PSG and ensure Liverpool came away with a 1-0 lead from the first leg.
That was overturned in the following week and PSG went on to win on penalties, but it certainly made an impression on Salah, who said the French side would be worthy winners of the competition.
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“I have to be very honest, PSG were playing a very good game in the first leg,” he said in an interview with L’Equipe. “We were so lucky that Alisson had his best game in the club’s history, probably. They were so unlucky.
“Then they came to Anfield. We were so unlucky because we hit the post two to three times.
“That game was honestly 50/50. Who deserved it more? No-one could say. We played a very good second half. They played a very good first leg. Nobody here would say they deserved it 100 percent.
“It was their day and I shook their hands and said to their players after “congratulations, go and win” and that’s it. We faced the best team in Europe in that tie.”
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PSG’s domestic form has trailed off since being crowned French champions last month. It has won just one of the last four, losing two and surrendering its unbeaten domestic record for the campaign.
The side from the French capital struggled earlier in the Champions League campaign but recorded victories in its final three league phase games to secure a 15th-place finish. It’s in the knockout rounds were the team has sparkled, led by the virtuoso Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
As for Arsenal, progressing to the final at PSG’s expense would salvage what has been a disappointing campaign in the league. The Gunners, like their opponents, have only played in one previous Champions League final.
