Liverpool eye Champions League quarter-finals but face tough task against PSG

The Reds are set for the first leg of their last 16 tie as they return to European action following automatic qualification to the knockouts.

They won the brand-new League Phase and that meant they progressed straight through to this stage where they have been drawn to face PSG.

The French giants are in fine form heading into this game, winning their play-off clash against Brest 10-0 on aggregate and winning 7-0 domestically last week.

Luis Enrique's side haven't lost in any competition since November and sit well clear at the top of Ligue 1, just as Liverpool do in the Premier League.

The winner of this tie will take on either Aston Villa or Club Brugge, meaning an all-English quarter-final is very much possible.

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PSG vs Liverpool: Extending a record

The chances of Mohamed Salah extending his Champions League record are high.

He has been in the best form of his career this season, being involved in an incredible amount of goals and making history every week.

Salah's Premier League stats are stunning but it's been no different in Europe as he's had a hand in seven goals in seven appearances.

And when looking at his past record in the knockout stages, he won't be stopping any time soon.

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He's been directly involved in 20 goals in 30 games in the knockout rounds of this competition (12 goals and eight assists) - which is the most by an African player.

The 32-year-old sits one above Samuel Eto'o and Didier Drogba, and any more involvements against PSG would move him further clear of those legends.

This will be just the third UEFA Champions League meeting between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain, with the two sides previously squaring off in the 2018-19 group stage, with the Reds winning 3-2 at home and losing 1-2 away.

Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain will face each other in the knockout stages of a major European competition for the first time since meeting in the semi-final of the Cup Winners' Cup in 1996-97, with the Parisians progressing to the final following a 3-2 aggregate victory.

Liverpool haven't won any of their last five away games against French sides in Europe (D2 L3), with their last such victory coming at Marseille in September 2008 (2-1 in the UEFA Champions League).

PSG vs Liverpool: Team news

PSG have no injury concerns heading into the first leg of this tie, with all of their key players available to feature.

Vitinha and Kvicha Kvaratskhelia were both given a rest at the weekend and they could now come back into the starting line-up.

In-form Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola are going to be major threats out wide.

As for Liverpool, manager Arne Slot will have the majority of their first-team squad available.

Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley are sidelined, with Gomez expected to miss out on most of the season, while Bradley is out for a few weeks.

Tyler Morton is also out, but other than that, the Reds will have their full-strength side on the pitch as they push for a crucial win.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot is unbeaten against French opposition in major European competition, winning two of his three matches and drawing the other. Indeed, the most recent of those was a 2-1 win over Lille in this season's league phase in the UEFA Champions League.

Paris SG are on a five-game win streak in the UEFA Champions League, scoring 21 goals and only conceding three times in this run. They last won six in a row in the competition in the 1994-95 campaign, under Luis Fernandez (6).

PSG vs Liverpool: What has been said?

Speaking about the first leg of this last 16 tie, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said: "It will be a very good game, I expect over there, against a team in form.

"Of course, it feels like [the Champions League] goes up a level now. We are in the knockout stages and there is no time for errors or bad games, basically.

"There are two games to get through and we want to be so good that we deserve to go through.

"But you have to fight for it, you have to do everything in your power to win the game. That is what we are going to try to do, but we are definitely aware of them.

"We will be aware of them in Paris and then obviously back here [to Anfield].

"These are the nights that you want to perform in and you want to show the whole world."

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Liverpool have lost each of their last three games in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League, although all three of those have been against Real Madrid (2021-22 final and home/away in 2022-23 last 16). Indeed, since the start of 2020-21, four of their five losses in the knockout stages of the competition have been against Real Madrid, with Internazionale (in March 2022) the only other side to beat them.

Paris SG's Marquinhos could make his 100th UEFA Champions League start in this game (currently on 99). He'd be just the fourth Brazilian player to achieve this milestone, after Roberto Carlos (120), Dani Alves (108) and Thiago Silva (100), as well as the first player to make 100 starts for a French club in the competition (all for Paris SG).

PSG vs Liverpool: talkSPORT coverage

This Champions League clash will take place on Wednesday, March 5.

Kick-off at the Parc Des Princes is scheduled for 8pm.

talkSPORT will have live coverage of all the action.

Commentary will come from Jim Proudfoot and Stuart Pearce.

To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream.

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You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.

The game will be broadcast on TNT Sports and discovery+ too.