Andy Hunter was at the Parc des Princes, and his verdict is in. “Arne Slot’s team did not simply secure a precious first-leg lead against Paris Saint-Germain, they committed grand larceny on a night that belonged to Alisson.” Enjoy Andy’s report, and thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night.
Luis Enrique speaks to TNT. “My feelings now are difficult … we deserved to win, clearly … it’s one of the best matches in the Champions League we have done this season and last year … when you think Alisson was their best player … football is unfair … but we are ready for Liverpool [i.e. Anfield] … we have nothing to lose … Liverpool is the best team in Europe … today they created one or two chances maximum and we created a lot … I feel proud of my players, my team and the supporters … we have a last chance and are going to think about that in a positive way … we are going to do it!”
Arne Slot speaks to TNT. “There was a lot of similarities with our game against Manchester City … we faced a team so good in ball possession … they have great wingers as well … I already knew we would not dominate possession over here … the only thing I can blame my players for is the three, four, five, six times we played through them … the last touch should be better … but that is difficult when you have to defend so much … if you look at the underlying stats they were number one in the Champions League … so much pace up front … quality on the ball … the only way over here was to defend … we will need our fans at Anfield … but we will also need them on Saturday [against Southampton in the Premier League] because the boys had to dig really deep to get this over the line … we will need them at Anfield two times … Alisson is the best in the world … he showed that today … to go away with a win over here is probably a bit more than we deserved … Darwin was in a difficult place against Villa and Wolves but showed again how important he can be … the players want to be there if needed and they showed up today.”
Post-match postbag. “That sort of goal is the sort of thrilling heroics that make a team great. Elliott is a brilliantly used sub at times like this: comes on, and gets a stomp on the game. A proper job as the Cornish would say on St Piran’s Day” – Bill Preston
“Reminds me of Jimmy Greaves’ post-match commentary for the 1986 FA Cup Final when Liverpool beat Everton 3-1 after a very wobbly start. He said he was going take Liverpool and break in to steal the crown jewels, because he was sure he’d get away with it!” – Malcolm McAdam
“This is a perfect European away performance. Don’t know what everyone is so worked up about” – Luke Smith
“Told you Nunez was the answer!” – Nick Smith (of half-time postbag fame)
“What did I say?” Ingo Herzke (of 68 min fame)
More from Alisson. “The manager was telling us how hard it would be … how good they are with the ball … we had to be ready to suffer … there is so much quality on their side … we worked hard … we gave away chances … we always had someone who made the player with the chance think a bit more … it makes my job easier … all this effort the team puts in … then Harvey comes in to score … a great story, a great night … a tough night with a happy end.”
Harvey Elliott adds: “I’ve got no words … this guy is unbelievable … the best in the world … keeps us in so many games … tonight was my opportunity to repay this man … without him I don’t know where we’d be … it’s a great team performance.”
Player of the match Alisson is asked by TNT Sports whether that was his best performance of the season. “Probably of my life.”
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembélé were so good tonight. Désiré Doué wasn’t half bad when he came on as well. But Alisson was in super-human cheat mode tonight, making a series of glorious saves to deny Paris Saint-Germain, who had all the possession and a plethora of chances, but couldn’t convert any of them. Actually, scrub that: they weren’t allowed to convert any of them. Alisson was that good. The rest of Liverpool’s team, not so much, and they were also fortunate that Ibrahima Konaté didn’t walk for an obvious push on Bradley Barcola. Ten men would have surely crumbled under the Parisian onslaught. But the eleven didn’t, defending staunchly, holding firm, and getting their reward for all their tenacious hard work when Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott combined for the late winner. The substitutes making a serious difference, and Curtis Jones did well coming off the bench too. Chalk up another success for Arne Slot. An evening for Liverpool to enjoy, though on this evidence PSG won’t be in the mood to succumb at Anfield next week. Should be a great showdown.
FULL TIME: Paris Saint-Germain 0-1 Liverpool
Smash and grab complete. That’s some result.
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90 min +5: Doué dribbles elegantly down the left and wins a corner off Endo. But nothing comes of it. Alisson claims the ball, and Liverpool are so close now to one of the great European away smash-and-grabs.
90 min +4: Mendes barges his way into the Liverpool box from the left and has a dig. Alisson claims at his near post, earning an appreciative pat on the head from his captain Van Dijk.
90 min +3: You’ll Never Walk Alone ringing off the concrete walls of the Parc des Princes. “That PSG are down one nil is a blasphemy against all sporting logic,” suggests Kári Tulinius. “But sometimes the goddess Fortuna bestows its blessings on a team, and this season Liverpool have clearly made the correct ritual offerings.”
90 min +2: Now it’s Liverpool’s turn to keep hold of the ball. The Parc des Princes has fallen very quiet, apart from the away fans in party mode.
90 min: Elliott was in fact on the pitch for 47 seconds before scoring. Not 40. The slowcoach. There will be five additional minutes.
89 min: Great work by Nunez, too. And Alisson, who has made so many saves, was also involved. This is gloriously absurd!
88 min: Elliott was only on the pitch for 40 seconds. What a substitution!
GOAL! PSG 0-1 Liverpool (Elliott 87)
Who writes these stories? Alisson launches long. Nunez wins a header on the edge of the box, swatting Marquinhos aside. He’s within his rights to shoot from the edge of the D, but instead spots Elliott coming in from the right. Elliott enters the box, opens his body, and steers a shot across Donnarumma and into the bottom right! Smash. And. Grab!
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86 min: Salah trudges off, replaced by Harvey Elliott. He looks thoroughly frustrated.
84 min: Dembele sashays in from the right and aims for the bottom left. He looks to have beaten Alisson at last, only for the keeper to somehow extend his arm and claw the ball away from danger. Salah has the opportunity to release Nunez on the counter, but his attempt to find his team-mate is appalling. Salah has been on the periphery all evening, and that’s not necessarily his fault, but on the rare occasion he’s had the chance to do something, he’s been woefully below par.
83 min: PSG continue to push Liverpool back. No way through right now.
81 min: Hakimi crosses violently from the right with Ramos lurking, ready to pounce, six yards out. Alisson stoops to gather. This has been a stunning goalkeeping performance.
80 min: Doué zips in from the left and, upon reaching the edge of the box, curls powerfully towards the top right. it’s heading in, but Alisson makes yet another world-class save, sticking out a long arm to turn around the post. Nothing comes of the corner.
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79 min: Warren Zaïre-Emery and Gonçalo Ramos replace Fabián Ruiz and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Liverpool respond by switching out Ryan Gravenberch for Wataru Endo.
78 min: Doué slips a pass down the inside-right to release Hakimi, who shoots across Alisson. Another strong arm denies the shot. Then the flag pops up for offside anyway.
77 min: Gravenberch spins into space in the middle of the park, as he so often does, and has the opportunity to release Salah into acres down the right. Instead he clanks the pass out for a throw. Liverpool haven’t clicked in attack at all this evening.
75 min: PSG pass and probe. Doué then takes the opportunity to go over Jones’ carelessly hung-out leg, as he makes good down the right. A free kick, from which Doué threads a shot towards the bottom right. Alisson claims with ease.
73 min: A speculative ball looped down the middle of the mark. Nunez extends a leg in the hope of poking past Donnarumma, but only manages to catch the keeper in the face. Accidental, to be clear, and Nunez was entitled to go for the loose ball. Thankfully the keeper’s up and about again soon enough. “Everyone needs to relax a bit,” argues Johnathan Kaszynski. “Did people really think even Liverpool could walk into Paris and have no trouble coping with a team full of excellent players in excellent form?”
71 min: Doué hoicks over the bar from long distance. PSG have now had 25 attempts at goal this evening. Liverpool still hang on by their fingernails.
70 min: Mendes twists down the left and shoots low. Another strong Allison hand. Then Dembele flashes a wild shot high and wide right. Van Dijk prepares to take the resulting goal kick, but takes so long over it that he goes into the book.
68 min: Dembele worms his way down the right, turning Robertson inside and out like a pair of freshly laundered socks. His low cross fizzes through the six-yard box, but there’s nobody there to convert. Meanwhile here’s Ingo Herzke: “This reminds me of PSG’s semi-finals last year against Borussia Dortmund; only they haven’t hit the woodwork quite as much. So it’s going to be one goal for Liverpool sooner or later.”
67 min: Nothing comes of the corner. Then Darwin Núñez and Curtis Jones come on for Diogo Jota and Luis Díaz. “We have had quite a bunch of unconvincing wins in the Prem,” admits Paul Quigley. “But nothing like this. No real injuries, just a totally insipid and cowardly performance. Is all the drama behind the scenes with the three contract boys (Salah, VVD, Trent), the three unwanted forwards (Diaz, Nunez, Jota) and the slow fullbacks coming back to haunt us?”
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66 min: Dembele takes a touch down the right and wins a corner. Before it can be taken, Bradley Barcola makes way for Désiré Doué.
64 min: Liverpool launch a three-on-three counter. Salah curls in from the right to nobody in particular. A waste of a promising break. Liverpool haven’t had many opportunities, and they can’t afford to be so profligate.
63 min: One Dembele corner from the right leads to another, and the second nearly curls into the bottom left corner. Alisson wasn’t getting there; Szoboszlai sticks out a leg to divert wide left and over the bar. That could easily have ended up as an own goal. It’s Szoboszlai’s second crucial block of the evening. The third corner of the sequence is lashed over the bar by Hakimi.
62 min: Kvaratskhelia glides down the left at speed and makes it into the box. Alexander-Arnold toes out for a corner, some fine last-ditch defending. PSG claim a penalty but it was a perfectly good intervention.
61 min: Another sign of PSG’s dominance: they’ve made 398 successful passes to Liverpool’s 146. And yet it’s still goalless.
59 min: Salah dribbles in from the right only to be stopped by Mendes with ease. But this is slightly better from Liverpool, who otherwise haven’t been able to get Salah into the game at all. “Maybe those who are criticising Liverpool’s performance need to get things in perspective,” begins Kimberley Thonger. “Most fans of other smaller clubs would give their left arm to be well clear at the top of the Premier League and playing badly against PSG in the last 16 of the Champions League but crucially still being 0-0 at half time. I’ve been supporting Bristol City for over fifty years and mostly it’s been disappointment or despair, bless them. I think Liverpool will beat PSG and advance, and then very likely march on to take the trophy. I confidently predict Bristol City will either fail again to make the play offs or succeed but then fall at the first hurdle. I’ll never desert them though. Obvs.”
58 min: A chance for Salah to get a shot away. He fails to take it, put off by the presence of Mac Allister, clumsily in the road. Donnarumma still hasn’t had any serious work to do.
56 min: Liverpool can’t get out of their half. Another PSG corner is batted away. Jota can’t do anything by way of countering, and Kvaratskhelia comes back at the visitors, cutting in from the left and aiming for the bottom right. Alisson saves again. Kvaratskhelia is borderline unplayable.
55 min: Dembele crosses dangerously from the right. Allison does extremely well to get a strong paw to it, batting the ball away from danger through a crowded box.
54 min: Kvaratskhelia whistles an outrageous free kick towards the top-right corner. A proper arrow. Alisson does extremely well to tip it around the post at full stretch. Nothing comes of the resulting corner. Alisson has been Liverpool’s player of the match so far by quite some distance.
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53 min: Jota needlessly clips Kvaratskhelia, who was dancing in from the left but otherwise surrounded. A free kick just to the left of the D. Kvaratskhelia looks like he fancies this.
52 min: Alexander-Arnold steers the ball out for a PSG corner, under pressure from Neves, but referee and linesman signal goal kick. Liverpool have benefitted from all the decisions tonight, both big and small.
51 min: Alexander-Arnold launches long for Jota down the right. Jota doesn’t have the pace to best Pacho. Liverpool wishing Salah had been stationed over there instead.
50 min: Dembele slashes a wild long-distance shot over the bar. In other news, PSG’s possession stat has ballooned to 68 percent.
49 min: Jota strips Dembele and feeds Szoboszlai, who asks too much of Diaz with a pass down the inside-left channel. Marquinhos intercepts. Other options were available. Uncharacteristic impatience from Slot’s Liverpool.
48 min: Incidentally, on TNT, co-commentator Ally McCoist has pointed out that PSG haven’t been involved in a goalless Champions League match for 92 games. That’s some statistic, and we’ve only got another 43 minutes plus stoppages to consign it to history.
46 min: That was a proper rugby-style kick-off, by the way, Ruiz immediately launching the ball into touch near the left-hand corner flag. Liverpool win the resulting line-out.
PSG get the second half started. No changes. “What’s going on?” begins Trevor Bond. “Liverpool are almost certain to win the Best League in the World and PSG are supposed to be the farmer’s league Winners By Default. And yet this has been one of the most one-sided halves of football I’ve ever seen. Fine, if Liverpool end up scrapping a 1-0 win then the narrative will be that ‘Enrique’s team didn’t capitalise whilst they were on top’ but right now that looks a very distant prospect. They’ve been outplayed in every possible way, they can’t even clear the ball without it coming back at them again ten seconds later. Slot has done great things but he’s being shown up right now.”
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Half-time punditry. On TNT Sport, Steve McManaman suggests Liverpool are “living very dangerously” and “need a big reboot”. Meanwhile Rio Ferdinand claims they’re “lucky not to be 3-0 down and down to ten men”. He also can’t believe Konaté wasn’t sent off for skittling Barcola as last man. “If you barge shoulder to shoulder, I get it. He’s basically barged him between the two numbers on his back!” McManaman agrees that it was a foul, and the Liverpool player has “got away with one big-time.”
Half-time postbag. “Are Liverpool following their tried and true European method? Outplayed in a disastrous two or three-goal defeat away in leg one, before turning it around on a FAMOUS EUROPEAN NIGHT back at Anfield?” – Drew Ellis
“Liverpool’s current lack of joy is like that of a tourist trying to get up the Eiffel Tower. Crowds, hassle, tedium while battling the line and the ascent. But once they get to the top they’ll enjoy a great view. The pain is just part of the journey” – Peter Oh
“These millimetre offsides spoil so many great goals, and would never have been picked up pre-VAR” – Mark Uribe
“To give an idea of my current state of mind, I think Darwin Nunez could make a real difference” – Nick Smith
HALF TIME: Paris Saint-Germain 0-0 Liverpool
A scoreline of 1-0, 2-0, maybe even 3-0 wouldn’t particularly flatter PSG. Liverpool are also fortunate Ibrahima Konaté wasn’t sent off for barging into the back of Bradley Barcola. Arne Slot has built a deserved reputation of improving his team with half-time advice and tactical tweaks. He’s got his biggest job of the season on tonight.
45 min +1: There goes the first of two additional first-half minutes.
45 min: Mac Allister’s corner from the right is flicked on to Salah at the far post. It’s a big chance, six yards out, albeit one that arrives at warp speed. The ball goes under Salah’s foot and away. What a smash-and-grab that could have been!
44 min: Pacho expertly removes one of Jota’s boots while flapping a finger in his ear. Nothing criminal, but a chance for Jota to take an absolute age in picking himself back up from the floor. The clock ticks on. Then Robertson launches the set piece into the box. Jota has a shooting opportunity from the penalty spot, but has the ball nicked off his toe by Mendes. Corner.
42 min: … van Dijk powers a header clear. Nil-nil at half-time will be quite the achievement if Liverpool can hold on for the next few minutes.
41 min: Diaz nearly gets on the end of a long Alexander-Arnold rake, then up the other end bowls Hakimi over just to the right of the D. Dembele takes the free kick, which pings off a red shirt and out for a corner on the right. From which …
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39 min: Donnarumma claims the resulting free kick, wafted aimlessly into the box, then falls into a hot funk as the presence of Mac Allister stops him bowling out quickly. PSG getting a little bit agitated, no doubt wondering how the hell they’re not at least a couple of goals ahead.
38 min: Marquinhos is booked for a fairly cynical check on Jota, who was in the process of cutting infield from the left touchline. Following the generous interpretation of Konate’s earlier challenge, the PSG captain isn’t happy to become the first player carded, but in truth it’s a no-brainer for the referee. A clear yellow.
37 min: Kvaratskhelia is everywhere. He’s sensational. Now he swans into the Liverpool box from the left, taking a shot that gets deflected. Alisson does well to get down and save. Nothing comes from the resulting corner.
36 min: That’s a little better from Liverpool. A couple of counters in short order. Small acorns, and all that, because they’ve been totally outplayed.
34 min: A chance for Liverpool to do something on the counter, Jota getting the better of Pacho and breaking into space down the inside-right channel. But Marquinhos is again on point, making sure Jota can’t find Diaz, in acres on the left. Salah arrives to help, but he’s too late, and the hosts clear.
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32 min: Liverpool go up the other end and win a corner. After all that, they couldn’t, could they? Nope. Salah and Jota buzz about, but to little effect, and Donnarumma eventually claims.
31 min: … then the hosts come back again. Dembele is sprung clear down the left. He enters the box and Alisson blocks. Barcola sends the rebound goalwards. Szoboszlai blocks. Barcola has another go and blasts over the bar. How on earth are PSG not ahead?!
30 min: Kvaratskhelia sashays into the box from the right, all shimmies and defence-bothering shakes. He sends Robertson off to Carrefour, then scoops a chip in to … nobody in particular. Liverpool clear, but …
29 min: It’s all PSG. Barcola tees up Kvaratskhelia, who lashes low and hard towards the bottom left. Alisson behind it all the way. Liverpool, all 11 men of them, still hanging on.
27 min: Liverpool get away with another big one. The VAR declines to overturn the referee’s on-field decision. Konate plays on. He’s extremely fortunate, because that looked like a last-man foul. On the touchline, Arne Slot has the good grace to look concerned. His team are being given a bit of a runaround.
26 min: It’s not going to be a penalty, because the challenge was outside the box. But Konate certainly shouldered into Barcola’s back. Konate in serious bother here.
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25 min: Barcola races after a long bouncing bomb down the middle. He enters the box and goes over when Konate barges him in the agricultural style from behind. The referee says no foul, and no penalty, but there’s going to be a check for a red card. Konate could be in trouble here.
24 min: Kvaratskhelia goes over in the Liverpool box, a little too easily. Liverpool may have decided that the best form of defence is attack, as they counter fast. Jota has the chance to release Salah into acres down the right, but takes the wrong turn and the opportunity is gone.
22 min: The lead wouldn’t have flattered PSG at all. They look like scoring every time they pour forward. Liverpool struggling to get a touch at the moment.
VAR: NO GOAL. PSG 0-0 Liverpool
21 min: The semi-automated VAR chalks it off. Kvaratskhelia inches offside. The smallest of margins – the width of an ankle - and a huge break for Liverpool.
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GOAL! PSG 1-0 Liverpool (Kvaratskhelia 20)
Alisson punches the corner. Half clear. But the ball’s recycled down the inside-right channel for Kvaratskhelia, who takes a touch inside before curling an unstoppable effort into the top-left corner. Alisson no chance! That had been coming!
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19 min: Szoboszlai tries to release Salah with a long pass, but Pacho comes across to deal with the problem. PSG counter through Dembele, who spins and nutmegs his way down the middle of the park with sheer elegance, before shooting from the edge of the D. The ball’s deflected off Van Dijk and wide left for a corner. From which …
18 min: Dembele wins PSG’s first corner of the evening down the right. Liverpool half-clear the set piece, then Vitinha fizzes a low drive wide left from distance. Alisson had it covered. PSG well on top now.
16 min: Dembele skips past two challenges down the right, leaving Robertson and Mac Allister in the dust. Elegant and powerful. He reaches the byline and cuts back for Vitinha, who simply must score, unmarked as he is on the penalty spot. But he shins his shot into the ground and over the bar. What a miss!
15 min: PSG have enjoyed 57 percent of the possession so far.
14 min: Diaz, out on the left, plays a dreadful ball infield to give Paris a three-on-two break. Barcola advances and finds Kvaratskhelia. Liverpool swarm. Kvaratskhelia can’t get a proper shot away. Diaz a lucky chap. Liverpool sloppy again.
12 min: PSG are beginning to dominate possession. Liverpool are happy enough to sit back and wait to see what the hosts can do. At the moment, they stay patient and do next to nothing.
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10 min: Alisson and Van Dijk take their sweet time over a restart. Whistles and jeers. Good old-fashioned European football.
8 min: Konate and Szoboszlai confuse each other, 30 yards from goal, and gift Barcola the chance to run towards the box. Liverpool swarm and eventually Ruiz screws a speculative shot wide right. The visitors get away with one. They can’t afford to be as slack again.
7 min: Dembele flies down the left and cuts infield, but his attempted cross is blocked by … referee Davide Massa, who is extremely apologetic. To be fair, Dembele’s cross wasn’t heading in the direction of a team-mate, but still, that’s nice.
5 min: Another long Liverpool pass. Marquinhos looks in control but is bothered by Diaz enough to cause the PSG defender a little panic. Marquinhos is forced to slice out for a throw, deep in PSG territory. Nothing comes of the good position for Liverpool, but they’ll be happy with their busy start.
4 min: Robertson goes long down the left for Diaz, who reaches the byline before cutting back for Jota. Marquinhos comes across to deny Jota a shooting opportunity. Great play all round.
3 min: Jota nearly releases Diaz into the PSG box down the left, but the pass doesn’t quite stick. Both teams already look up for this.
2 min: Ruiz hassles Gravenberch down the PSG left but the Liverpool midfielder holds firm and buys a cheap free kick. PSG soon try again, this time down the right, Hakimi nearly getting the better of Diaz, but again the Liverpool player sticks to his guns and Hakimi runs the ball out for a goal kick.
1 min: An instant blast of jeering as Liverpool start with some midfield possession.
Club captains Fabián Ruiz and Virgil van Dijk exchange pennants. Hands are clasped, coins are tossed, huddles are formed. Then everyone splits and Liverpool get the ball rolling. Both sets of fans giving it plenty.
After a spectacular bells-and-whistles light show, the teams emerge from the tunnel. A fantastic atmosphere bubbling up in the Parc des Princes. The Hot Club de France de nos jours. PSG in blue with red vertical stripe, Liverpool in red with shades of 1983. The stadium crackling with excitement, the players looking real nice. We’ll be off after Uefa play their remix of Zadok the Priest; your time will be better spent listening to Django and Stéphane.
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PSG coach Luis Enrique has also been bigging up the opposition. “Liverpool has one of the best counterattacks in Europe so we will try to keep the ball and be careful not to suffer too much from transitions … they have three fighter jets in attack and it’s not easy to stop these fighter jets … Arne Slot has done a great job … he has created a near‑perfect team.” Andy Hunter, pounding the beautiful boulevards of Paris so you don’t have to, reports.
Arne Slot talks to TNT Sports. “It’s a nice part of the schedule for the people at home watching football … PSG’s fans will be behind the team … it’s all about the quality PSG have … it’s going to be the toughest game in Europe we’ve played so far … in every aspect of the game they do things really well … their main threat is their three attackers … they don’t only have quality but are lightning fast … they can change direction so quickly … like the wingers at Manchester City … Mohamed Salah has added even more experience … he is calm and not frustrated if he misses a chance … he always knows how to hit the ball … instilling your will on PSG is almost impossible … they go all over you … they take risks and get a lot from that … we have to understand when to play … it’s not a game we will dominate in ball possession, I will be surprised if that happens tonight.”
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There’s no Cody Gakpo for Liverpool. He’s picked up an injury in training. The only change to the team that started last week’s 2-0 victory over Newcastle United is at left-back, where Andrew Robertson returns at the expense of Kostas Tsimikas, who drops to the bench.
The hosts PSG make three changes to the starting XI after last Saturday’s 4-1 Ligue 1 thumping of Lille. Vitinha, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Willian Pacho return, with Gonçalo Ramos, Désiré Doué and Lucas Beraldo dropping to the bench.
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The teams
PSG: Donnarumma, Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes, Neves, Vitinha, Fabian, Kvaratskhelia, Dembele, Barcola.
Subs: Safonov, Tenas, Kimpembe, Goncalo Ramos, Doue, Lee, Hernandez, Mayulu, Zaire Emery, Lucas Beraldo, Mbaye.
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz, Jota.
Subs: Jaros, Kelleher, Endo, Nunez, Chiesa, Jones, Elliott, Tsimikas, McConnell, Quansah, Nyoni.
Referee: Davide Massa (Italy).
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Preamble
So much for coming top of the league stage, then. Liverpool’s reward is a tie with Paris Saint-Germain, who have won their last ten games straight, scoring at a rate of exactly four goals per game. In the last month, the champions of France have put four goals past fellow Champions League outfits Monaco and Lille, and seven past Champions League surprise package Brest. Ousmane Dembélé is finally delivering on all that early promise – he’s scored 20 goals in his last 14 appearances – while Bradley Barcola isn’t that backwards in coming forwards either, with 15 goals to his name this season. After all those wasted galáctico years, they’re finally looking like a proper team. Just ask Manchester City.
Having said all that, Liverpool, with 30-goal Mohamed Salah in outrageous form himself, are pretty handy too. So given all that, plus the fact these clubs are historically neck and neck with two wins apiece – all four matches ending in home wins, PSG pipping the 1997 Cup Winners Cup semi, Liverpool going on to lift the 2019 Champions League after meeting the Parisians at the group stage – this is deliciously balanced. And extremely unlikely to end goalless. All together now: ♯♬ ♪ I love Paris in the springtime … why oh why do I love Paris? Because kick-off is near! ♬♩♬ That’s 8pm GMT to be exact. It’s on!
