Liverpool manager Arne Slot heaped praise on Paris Saint-Germain ahead of their Champions League last-16 second-leg showdown on Tuesday night, while also taking subtle digs at domestic rivals Arsenal and Manchester City.
The Reds currently hold a narrow 1-0 lead on aggregate after last week’s first leg in Paris. However, the victory was more of a steal, with PSG dominating the match. ..Continue Reading
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson produced a remarkable performance, pulling off some of the best saves seen in the Champions League to deny stars like Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
“This is the most complete team we have faced so far,” Slot said, considering PSG to be a more challenging opponent than either Arsenal or Man City.
The Reds drew 2-2 against Arsenal in October, and will next face them in May, while they have beaten Man City home and away this campaign.
“We have faced Arsenal and Manchester City and they are not big margins but the intensity [PSG] play at combined with the quality – and they are one of the richest clubs – and a great manager it is not easy to play against,” Slot explained.
Even with an aggregate advantage, the Dutch coach said he will not compromise his principles in Tuesday’s match by simply trying to protect what is a fragile lead.
“We try to play every game to try to win,” he said. “That is also what we tried to do last week, it wasn’t our intention to be so [deep] all the time. We want to play a different game, the intention is always the same…we are not going to go for a draw.”
Liverpool began the knockout rounds as strong contenders for this season’s Champions League title, having delivered an almost perfect performance in the league phase and finishing at the top of the 36-team table.
The winner of Tuesday’s clash between Liverpool and PSG will go on to face either Aston Villa or Club Brugge in the quarter-finals in April, where they are likely to be the favourites to progress to the semi-finals.
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