A titanic return leg of the UEFA Champions League last-16 tie awaits on Tuesday evening, as Liverpool host Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield.
Liverpool somehow left the French capital with a 1-0 win under their banner from last week’s first leg, with goalkeeper Alisson Becker making an incredible nine saves to keep his clean sheet intact. They followed the smash-and-grab win in Paris with a 3-1 comeback victory over Premier League basement boys Southampton on Saturday, extending their lead at the summit to 15 points.
On the other hand, Luis Enrique rightly cut a frustrated figure after the final blow of the whistle in the first leg as his PSG side were outdone by Harvey Elliot’s sucker punch. They responded to the defeat by thrashing Rennes 4-1 away in Ligue 1 at the weekend, preparing for the big in England in the best possible manner.
Without further ado, let us take a look at the key battles on the pitch.
#Khvicha Kvaratskhelia vs Andy Robertson
The battle between Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Andy Robertson will be reignited here.
Kvaratskhelia was simply mesmerising in the first half, causing all kinds of problems for the Liverpool defence especially Robertson with his unpredictability, dribbling skills, burst of pace and movement. The only time PSG managed to beat Alisson and find the back of the net via the Georgian star, the goal was chopped off for offside. So, a clean sheet in Paris meant a lot for the visitors—a psychological victory for their defenders including Robertson.
Due to Kvaratskhelia and Co. constantly tormenting Liverpool, Robertson spent the majority of the game back against his walls. The Scotland international barely got the chance to bomb forward and link up with Luis Diaz on the left flank. In front of the Kop faithful on Tuesday, he will hope to enjoy more of the ball and try pinning Kvaratskhelia back.
However, if Robertson is careless with his positioning and off the ball movements, the PSG man could very much exploit the spaces left behind him via quick counter-attacks.
#Mohamed Salah vs Nuno Mendes
Mohamed Salah has undoubtedly been the Premier League’s best player this season. However, he probably endured his worst game of the campaign in Paris—anonymous and spending the majority of the time helping Alexander-Arnold defend against Bradley Barcola and his fellow forwards. When the Egyptian got a few chances to drive Liverpool forward, Nuno Mendes stood like a rock in front of him.
Mendes was excellent in the first leg, proving a constant attacking outlet down the left and linking up brilliantly with Barcola. Some of his crossing and low passes into the box were excellent, while the Portuguese tamed Liverpool’s biggest threat going forward.
Buoyed by a brace against Southampton at the weekend, Salah will try to be more expressive and take on Mendes in front of the home fans. For Mendes, the real test lies at Anfield and it will be interesting to see how he copes with the African superstar’s threat. Locking up the Premier League’s most in-form player twice in a week would be some achievement for the Portuguese.
#Vitinha vs Alexis Mac Allister
Vitinha simply ran the show for PSG in the first leg. Liverpool players barely had any solution to stop him from dictating play and linking up with his teammates. The visitors’ midfield unit—which has been excellent this season—were completely outplayed and outwitted by the Portuguese and his teammates.
Alexis Mac Allister endured a poor night as he chased shadows. The amount of running he did throughout the game led to Slot benching him against Southampton. However, the Argentinean came off the bench at half time and changed the game for the Reds at the weekend.
Having played just over 45 minutes on Saturday, Mac Allister should be relatively fresh for Tuesday’s encounter. After an off night in Paris, he will be determined to right the wrongs and make Vitinha chase shadows this time around.