Paris Saint-Germain controlled the first game of their Champions League knockout stage against Liverpool at home last week. However, their strong performance wasn’t enough to secure a lead before heading to Anfield.
PSG relentlessly attacked Alisson’s goal, but the Brazilian goalkeeper successfully blocked Les Parisiens’ attempts. Alisson himself described his performance as possibly the best of his career, before Harvey Elliott scored a decisive goal for Liverpool. Following what Jamie Carragher called “a major robbery in football,” Liverpool will host PSG at Anfield tonight holding a one-goal advantage.
Despite the first leg result, the leaders of Ligue 1 have publicly and privately maintained a positive outlook on their chances of advancing to the next Champions League round. Prior to the match, Luis Enrique acknowledged that his team is likely to face a greater challenge in the upcoming game.
The Spanish manager stated, “The situation will be different. The game will probably be more balanced, but I am still confident. It’s crucial for us to manage the key moments of the match, defending and attacking as a unit.”
He further commented, “You can’t perform at 105% because that’s impossible, but reaching 100% is also not easy. These are complex games to prepare for.” Luis Enrique is familiar with overcoming deficits, famously overturning a 4-0 loss against PSG while managing Barcelona, and then, ironically, reversing a deficit against Barça last season with Les Parisiens. He now needs to orchestrate another comeback at Anfield this evening.