PSG look to pile misery on Liverpool as sides meet again in Champions League

PARIS – When Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool last met in the Champions League a year ago, the Anfield outfit were marching towards the English Premier League title and were described as “an almost-perfect team” by the French club’s coach Luis Enrique.

Fast forward to this season and a formidable PSG appear clear favourites as the sides clash again in the Champions League quarter-finals, with the first leg in Paris on April 8.

Enrique, however, played down the favourites tag on April 7, saying: “My view is that it’s both the same team and a different team. Everyone is trying to work out who the favourites are but in this sort of match, that means nothing. It will be tough for both teams.”

Midfielder Vitinha added: “Liverpool are Liverpool, even if they are not in ideal form. They are still a great team... we will need to be at 100 per cent. It will still be a very, very difficult game.”

PSG’s triumph on penalties against Liverpool in the round of 16 last season was pivotal on their run to a maiden Champions League title.

They had to overturn a 1-0 defeat at home in a first leg they completely dominated before holding their nerve at Anfield, and the two teams have set off on different trajectories since.

Arne Slot’s side somewhat ran out of steam after that, albeit having done more than enough to get over the line in the Premier League.

But this season has been a huge disappointment, as they return to Paris in an especially downbeat mood after a chastening 4-0 defeat by Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals on April 4.

That had Slot saying his team lacked fighting spirit, while captain Virgil van Dijk suggested they had given up and admitted it would be “very difficult” for Liverpool to lift themselves against PSG.

“But we have a responsibility, not only to ourselves but especially to the fans, and if we want to make something out of this season, we have to try and do something special in the next three games,” van Dijk said, with the two legs of their Champions League tie taking place either side of an awkward clash with Fulham.

“The matter of fact is now, PSG are waiting for us. It will be so tough again. So we have to be ready mentally as soon as possible,” he added.

Liverpool have won just one of their last five matches and have suffered 15 defeats in all competitions this campaign, after losing the season-opening Community Shield on penalties to Crystal Palace in August 2025.

Securing a return to Europe’s elite club tournament for next season has to be the main aim now for a team currently lying fifth in the Premier League.

PSG, in contrast, have had a tricky season at times due to injuries but look like they might be returning to their best form at the right time.

A 3-1 win over Toulouse on April 3, featuring a marvellous goal from reigning Ballon d’Or holder Ousmane Dembele, helped them extend their lead atop Ligue 1 to four points from nearest challengers Lens with a game in hand.

But the Champions League is what really matters, as the French league even accepted PSG’s request to postpone a key trip to Lens – initially scheduled for April 11 – to allow them to concentrate on Liverpool.

“I think we have shown for a long time that we are ready, regardless of the competition, but there are obviously things we can improve,” warned Enrique.

Dembele is fully fit and firing, but Georgian star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was the inspiration in the last round, when PSG destroyed Chelsea 8-2 on aggregate. The game on April 8 will be their 14th against Premier League opposition since the start of January 2025.

But there is one obvious weakness in PSG’s ranks – they have not successfully replaced goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, the hero in last season’s shoot-out against Liverpool who is now at City.

Lucas Chevalier was signed as the Italian’s successor but has lost his place to Matvey Safonov, the Russian who made two glaring mistakes to cost his side a goal at the weekend.

“A goalkeeper is like any other player. They can make mistakes, because that’s normal in football,” said Enrique.

Meanwhile, the key for the visitors could be Hugo Ekitike, Liverpool’s leading scorer this season with 17 goals who comes up against the club where he failed to make an impact earlier in his career.

Ekitike, 23, joined PSG from Stade de Reims in 2022 but scored just four goals in 18 months before leaving for Eintracht Frankfurt.

He struggled then to break into an offence featuring Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar but returns to his homeland as a genuine contender to start for France at the World Cup.

“Hugo is a great player. He is really in form so we are just hoping he won’t be against us,” said PSG’s Dembele, his international teammate. AFP