Liverpool, corrected by Manchester City in the FA Cup quarterfinals (4-0), has a lot of problems to solve just four days before facing PSG at the Parc des Princes in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals (Wednesday night).
Arne Slot knows this better than anyone and states: “The Champions League is our last chance to win a title, but it will be crucial to qualify for the next edition through the league.” Swept away on Saturday at the Etihad Stadium by Manchester City in the FA Cup quarterfinals, Liverpool notably conceded three goals against Erling Haaland, who scored a hat-trick during City’s dominance (4-0).
“If you want to have a chance against PSG, you have to do better offensively and defensively,” said Slot. With only four days until the Champions League quarterfinals, it seems very difficult to hope for Liverpool to show a different face on Wednesday night at the Parc des Princes against a PSG team who is logically favorite for this new double confrontation with the Reds, over a year after last season’s round of 16 (0-1; 1-1; 1-4 on penalties).
“There are only three or four days before facing Paris, so we can’t do much.” Slot emphasized the need to “defend better than in the 20 minutes during which we conceded four goals.” He pointed out that he appreciated the first 35 minutes of his team, before Haaland scored the first goal from a penalty (39th minute).
The Reds’ coach, as in recent weeks, would also like to see Mohamed Salah (who missed a penalty), Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, and the others be clinical in front of the opponent’s goal: “It would be nice if, from time to time, we could score a goal from our chances. Once again, we are facing a team that ends up with a lot more goals than expected goals. It happens to us all the time, and it’s the opposite for us. We have a lot of expected goals but score few. If you want to have a chance against PSG, you have to do better offensively and defensively.”
