Paris Saint-Germain are set to host six-time winners Liverpool in a highly anticipated UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg. The reigning champions will welcome the Reds to the Parc des Princes on Wednesday 8 April, looking to repeat their success from last season’s knockout stages.
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Match at a Glance
- When: Wednesday 8 April (21:00 CET)
- Where: Parc des Princes, Paris
- What: UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg
- Who: Reigning champions against six-time winners
Road to the Quarter-Finals
For the second consecutive season, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool find themselves clashing in the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds.
Paris Saint-Germain
After finishing 11th in the league phase, Paris navigated an all-French knockout phase play-off for the second season running, overcoming Monaco 5-4 on aggregate (3-2 away, 2-2 home). They then progressed past English side Chelsea in the Round of 16 with a dominant 8-2 aggregate victory (5-2 home, 3-0 away).
Liverpool
Liverpool secured third place in the league phase. In the Last 16, they eliminated Turkish giants Galatasaray, recovering from a 0-1 away defeat to win the second leg 4-0 at home, progressing 4-1 on aggregate.
Read also: Atlético de Madrid vs Barcelona: Champions League Quarter-Final Second Leg Preview
Head-to-Head: Previous Encounters
This will be another chapter in a rivalry that has seen some thrilling European clashes.
- Last Season’s Round of 16: Paris prevailed 4-1 on penalties after each side had won 1-0 away. Harvey Elliott scored the only goal for Liverpool at Parc des Princes in the first leg, while Ousmane Dembélé reciprocated at Anfield.
- 1996/97 Cup Winners’ Cup Semi-Finals: Paris also emerged victorious on aggregate, winning 3-2 (3-0 home, 0-2 away).
- 2018/19 Champions League Group Stage: The teams were paired together, with Liverpool winning 3-2 at Anfield before Paris secured a 2-1 success at the Parc des Princes.
Paris’ Record Against English Clubs
The second-leg win at Chelsea in this season’s Round of 16 extended Paris’ unbeaten run against Premier League clubs to seven games (W7 D2 L1). At home, they boast four wins in their last five games against English visitors (D1). Paris have also won their last four two-legged ties against English clubs, including Liverpool last season, Aston Villa in the quarter-finals, and Arsenal in the semi-finals.
Liverpool’s Record Against French Teams
Liverpool have won seven of their last 11 matches against French teams (D1 L3), with their most recent victory being a 3-0 triumph at Marseille on Matchday 7. The Reds have won five of their nine knockout ties against Ligue 1 teams, and notably, none of Liverpool’s 36 matches against French teams have finished goalless.
Team Focus: Paris Saint-Germain
This marks Paris’ 18th campaign in the Champions League proper, having featured every season since 2012/13 and reaching the knockout stages in the last 14 campaigns. Last season, Luis Enrique’s side finished 15th in the league phase (W4 D1 L3) before going on an impressive run, beating Brest (10-0 aggregate), Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Arsenal to reach the showpiece in Munich. Their 5-0 win against Inter in the final was the biggest final victory in European Cup history.
Key PSG Stats:
- This is Paris’ tenth European Cup quarter-final, all in the Champions League era. Last season’s win against Aston Villa was their fourth in a row and their fifth overall.
- Paris have won their last six two-legged Champions League ties.
- Luis Enrique’s side have lost only two of their last 16 European matches (W10 D4) and only two of their last 13 in the Champions League knockout phase (W10 D1).
- This is Paris’ 61st match in the Champions League knockout phase; they have yet to feature in a goalless draw.
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has been in prolific form, scoring in Paris’ last three Champions League matches with four goals in total.
- Aged 20 years 31 days, Warren Zaïre-Emery could become the youngest player to make 40 Champions League appearances, surpassing Jude Bellingham (21 years 164 days).
Team Focus: Liverpool
This is Liverpool’s 17th Champions League campaign. They have reached the final five times, lifting the trophy in 2005 and 2019. Last season, the Merseysiders finished first in the league phase (W7 L1) but were ultimately knocked out by eventual champions Paris in the Round of 16.
Key Liverpool Stats:
- Liverpool are in their 18th European Cup quarter-final, one short of Manchester United’s English record. They have won 12 of their previous 17, most recently beating Benfica 6-4 on aggregate in 2021/22.
- The Merseyside club have won six of their last eight Champions League quarter-final ties.
- Liverpool have kept four clean sheets in their last five Champions League matches.
- None of the Reds’ last 51 European games finished 0-0, since they drew at home to Real Madrid in the 2020/21 Champions League quarter-final second leg.
- Liverpool have won 16 of their last 21 European matches (L5).
- Mohamed Salah’s goal in the Round of 16 second leg made him the first African player to reach 50 goals in the Champions League.
- Dominik Szoboszlai has scored in five of his last eight Champions League appearances.
Possible Line-ups
Paris: Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Zaïre-Emery, Vitinha, João Neves; Doué, Dembélé, Kvaratskhelia
Liverpool: Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Konaté, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Wirtz; Salah, Ekitiké
Form Guide
Paris
Form: WWWWLW (most recent game first)
Latest: Paris 3-1 Toulouse, 03/04, French Ligue 1
Liverpool
Form: LLWDLW
Latest: Manchester City 4-0 Liverpool, 04/04, English FA Cup
Views from the Camps
Luis Enrique, Paris coach: “It doesn’t matter who the favourites are, because in this type of match, it’s impossible to have a favourite. I don’t believe we are. Last year, everyone said it was Liverpool and we qualified. The first leg last season was a very, very high-level match. I would sign up for the same match but not for the same result. We hope to have more of the ball than Liverpool, but we know how difficult it is, because they are a very good team with a very good coach. We are used to playing against English teams, so in that sense it will be no different from last year.”
Vitinha, Paris midfielder: “This is going to be a very different match from last season [in the Round of 16]. We had more chances [in the first leg], but Alisson made a lot of saves. There was a bit of frustration at the end, but we told ourselves that by playing like that we could progress, and we did. Today, it’s a different season with changes in both teams. Even if Liverpool’s current form isn’t ideal, they’re still a great team with great players.”
Arne Slot, Liverpool coach: “It’s only about two games and a lot can happen in two games. I think both teams have very good players and both were able to show that when we went toe-to-toe last season.”
Florian Wirtz, Liverpool midfielder: “We have shown this season we are good in big games. Especially in Champions League games. The last round against Galatasaray was not easy, they are a good team [but we won]. We have the second game at home which is maybe an advantage. We will try to do our best, believe in ourselves and get a good result to take to Anfield.”
Reporter’s View and Prediction
Alex Clementson, match reporter: This will be a tale of contrasting fortunes. With 15 goals in their last four games in all competitions, eight of them against Chelsea in the previous round, Luis Enrique’s side have finally begun to gather some of the momentum that eluded them earlier in the campaign. Liverpool, meanwhile, have hit a sticky patch, compounded by a 4-0 FA Cup quarter-final defeat at Man City on Saturday. If Arne Slot’s men are to regain their footing, and avenge their Champions League exit at the hands of the Parisians last season, they will have to muster some of the mystique of their European heroics in the past.
Given Paris’ current momentum and Liverpool’s recent struggles, particularly their heavy FA Cup defeat, the home side will likely feel confident. While Liverpool’s European pedigree is undeniable, their recent form suggests they might struggle to contain a free-scoring PSG side at the Parc des Princes.
Prediction: Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 Liverpool
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