PSG will host Liverpool at Parc des Princes in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday night.
PSG are up against a struggling team, and they will certainly fancy their chances in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg vs Liverpool. Les Parisiens managed to beat Liverpool in the Champions League round of 16 last season as well, and the Reds have regressed massively since then.
The Champions League holders will be the favourites heading into this game, and it will be interesting to see if they can get the job done in the first leg. PSG are coming into this game on the back of five wins from their last six matches in all competitions. They will be full of confidence and momentum.
On the other hand, Liverpool have lost three of their last five matches in all competitions. Arne Slot’s men have picked up just one win in that time, and this will be a difficult outing for them away from home. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
PSG
Luis Enrique will be bereft of the services of Fabian Ruiz (knee), Quentin Ndjantou (knock), Senny Mayulu (calf), and Bradley Barcola (ankle). PSG are likely to start in a 4-3-3 formation vs Liverpool, with Matvey Safonov in goal.
Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Willian Pacho, and Nuno Mendes will start in the back four. Hakimi and Mendes will look to help out at both ends of the pitch, while Marquinho and Willian Pacho will aim to keep things tight at the heart of the defence..
As for the midfield unit, Vitinha, Warren-Zaire Emery and Joao Neves are expected to add control and composure to the side. They will look to break up the opposition’s attacking moves and dominate the midfield contest.
The front three will feature Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue, either side of Ousmane Dembele. All three players have explosive pace and outstanding technical ability. They will look to interchange and drag the Liverpool defence out of place.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Neves, Vitinha, Zaire-Emery; Kvaratskhelia, Dembele, Doue
Liverpool
The away team will be without Conor Bradley (knee), Wataru Endo (ankle), and Alisson Becker (knock) this week. Liverpool are likely to start in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs PSG, with Giorgi Mamardashvilli in goal.
Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Meanwhile, Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk will form the central defensive partnership.
As for the midfield unit, Ryan Gravenberch will start alongside Dominik Szoboszlai in the double pivot, aiming to add control and composure to the team. Alexis Mac Allister will look to create opportunities for teammates in the final third.
Finally, Hugo Ekitike will lead the line for Liverpool vs PSG on Wednesday, with Florian Wirtz and Mohamed Salah on either side of him. So, Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak will be among the backup options on the bench.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Mamardashvilli; Frimpong, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Salah, Mac Allister, Wirtz; Ekitike
Key Stats
- Liverpool have picked up two wins from their last six matches in all competitions.
- PSG have won five of their last six matches across all competitions.
- Ten goals have been scored in the last four matches between these two teams. The last four meetings between PSG and Liverpool have seen both teams win twice.
- PSG are unbeaten in their last six UEFA Champions League games against English sides (W5 D1), and have progressed from all four of their knockout stage ties against English opponents since the start of last season (v Liverpool, Aston Villa, Arsenal & Chelsea). They are also unbeaten in their seven most recent knockout stage matches in the UEFA Champions League (W6 D1), and could equal the longest run by a French side in the competition (8 by Lyon – April 2004-March 2006).
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has been directly involved in 11 goals in 11 games in the UEFA Champions League this season (7 goals, 4 assists), already the joint-second most by a PSG player in a single edition (level with Kylian Mbappe from 2020/21), and trailing only Ousmane Dembele from last season (14 in 15 games).
Player to Watch
Dominik Szoboszlai
Liverpool has struggled across the pitch this season, and they will find it difficult to break down PSG. They are likely to depend on the Hungarian international to create opportunities and find the back of the net here. Szoboszlai has shown that he can create opportunities out of nothing and find the back of the net against the run of play, especially from set pieces.
Szoboszlai leads all Liverpool players in the UEFA Champions League this season for goals (5), assists (4), progressive carries (85), possession won (69) and high-intensity pressures (414). They will depend on his genius to get a positive result here. Apart from his ability to chip in with important goals, they will also need him to step up in the middle of the park and drive the team forward.
Prediction
PSG 3-0 Liverpool
Liverpool are completely lacking in form and confidence. The Merseyside outfit have let in six goals in the last two outings, and they were thoroughly outplayed against Manchester City. PSG are a better team, and they are likely to cause all sorts of problems for the Premier League side.
A comfortable home win is on the cards for the French outfit. Liverpool are likely to crash to yet another miserable defeat here, thus heaping further pressure on Arne Slot. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 victory for Luis Enrique and his charges.