Cup Winners\u2019 Cup semi-final
PSG 3-0 Liverpool; Liverpool<\/a> 2-0 PSG
PSG win 3-2 on aggregate<\/p>\n
2018-19 2024-25 Share<\/a><\/p>\n On-the-nose pre-match music<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Arne Slot’s pre-match thoughts<\/p>\n double quotation markI never doubt my players. I know they give their best; sometimes it\u2019s not enough as we saw for 20 minutes at the Etihad. But they will try again today \u2013 on this stage, on every stage \u2013 to represent the Liverpool shirt in the best possible way.<\/p>\n [What\u2019s the thinking behind playing a back five?] The thinking is that we are playing a team who change positions constantly, so I thought, \u2018Let\u2019s pick a line-up where peole will argue what our formation is.\u2019 We will see once the game starts. It\u2019s obvious that we can play in different ways with the players we have on the pitch.<\/p>\n [On the omission of Mo Salah] It\u2019s always difficult to leave players out who work very hard and deserve to start. Mo is definitely one of them but there are other players on the bench who have worked very hard to play. We have a number of players on the bench who can impact the game. We\u2019re in a better place [in terms of depth] than we have been for most of the season.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cGlad to see Arne is channelling his inner George Graham, who was known on occasion to squash six central defenders into a line-up if the mood took him,\u201d writes Peadar de Burca. \u201cAnd yet, if was King Ferg who famously used seven defenders in his starting XI against the Gunners in the FA cup back in 2011 and won 2-0. Not that I need to tell you that…\u201d<\/p>\n I was thinking more about Highbury 1990<\/a>, the alliterative fiasco of the four full-backs.<\/p>\n I actually don\u2019t think this is a particularly defensive team, certainly not if they play a 4-2-3-1. I reserve the right to edit this entry should Liverpool\u2019s formation be closer to 9-0-1.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>The players on a yellow card<\/p>\n Paris Saint-Germain Nuno Mendes, Kvaratskhelia<\/p>\n Liverpool Van Dijk, Gravenberch, Jones.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI am beset by dread,\u201d writes Joe Pearson, \u201cand not in the \u2018I am the law\u2019 kind of way. Although admittedly PSG are giving off \u2018You\u2019re next, punk!\u2019 vibes. IYKYK.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a> double quotation markWhile Arsenal were busy Arsenaling their way<\/a> to a worthy but dull Bigger Cup quarter-final first leg win at Sporting on Tuesday, the players of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich released the collective handbrake and performed many high-speed donuts, wheel spins and Rockfords<\/a> as a pleasing counterpoint to the careful mirror-signal-manoeuvring on display at Lisbon\u2019s Est\u00e1dio Jos\u00e9 Alvalade.<\/p>\n Like a couple of stolen supercars racing each other around a shopping mall in The Fast and the Furious: Bicester Village, these two European heavyweights massively committed to the bit, not unlike a daily football email bogged down in a laboured motoring metaphor.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I see the chances we had, that has to give us confidence that we can score more goals,\u201d whooped Vincent Kompany following a hi-octane Bernab\u00e9u white-knuckle ride from which his team emerged deserving winners, even if it was their 40-year-old goalkeeper who took home the gong for player of the match.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n TNT Sports reckon Liverpool<\/a> will start with five at the back. Interesting.<\/p>\n Liverpool (poss 5-3-1-1) Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Gomez, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Wirtz; Ekitike.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Paris Saint-Germain team news<\/p>\n The formidable quartet of Nuno Mendes, Marquinhos, Joao Neves and Vitinha return to the PSG side in place of Lucas Hernandez, Illia Zabarnyi, Lucas Beraldo and Lee Kang-in. Nine of the ten outfield players started the demolition of Internazionale in last year\u2019s final; Warren Zaire-Emery is covering for the injured* Fabian Ruiz.<\/p>\n Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3) Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Joao Neves; Doue, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia.<\/p>\n Subs: Chevalier, Marin, Beraldo, Zabarnyi, Goncalo Ramos, Lee Kang-in, L Hernandez, Mayulu, D Fernandez, Mbaye.<\/p>\n * There are reports that PSG regard Fabian Ruiz\u2019s pain threshold as sub-optimal.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.01 EDT<\/p>\n Liverpool team news: Salah on the bench<\/p>\n Mo Salah has been left out of the Liverpool<\/a> starting XI, one of two changes from the defeat at the Etihad on Saturday. Curtis Jones is also omitted, with Jeremie Frimpong and Alexis Mac Allister coming in. Alexander Isak is back in the matchday squad.<\/p>\n Liverpool (possible 4-1-4-1) Mamardashvili; Gomez, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch; Frimpong, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Wirtz; Ekitike.<\/p>\n Subs: Isak, Salah, Woodman, Chiesa, Jones, Misciur, Gakpo, Robertson, Nyoni, Ngumoha.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.02 EDT<\/p>\n Barcelona v Atletico Madrid is tonight\u2019s other Champions League<\/a> match. Luke McLaughlin is covering that one.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cOne from the rumour mill here,\u201d writes Daniel Stauss, \u201cbut my best friend\u2019s sister\u2019s boyfriend\u2019s brother\u2019s girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who\u2019s going with a girl who said Slot would get the sack if Liverpool<\/a> lose today. Any thoughts?\u201d<\/p>\n I guess it\u2019s pretty serious<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Harry Paterson\u2019s preview<\/p>\n This tie could not have come at a worse time for Liverpool. They were on the wrong end of a 4-0 thrashing against Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals<\/a> on Saturday, their 15th defeat of the season and their fourth in their past five away games. They beat PSG 1-0 at the Parc des Princes last spring<\/a>, but a lot has changed in 12 months.<\/p>\n On a more encouraging note, Mohamed Salah, Jeremie Frimpong and Federico Chiesa are available, and the \u00a3125m signing Alexander Isak might make his first appearance in the squad since breaking his leg against Tottenham<\/a> in December.<\/p>\n PSG have a habit of beating English sides in the Champions League. They knocked Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal out of the competition last season, and they swept Chelsea aside last month, winning 8-2 on aggregate<\/a>. Bradley Barcola picked up an injury in that tie but may return, and Vitinha, Jo\u00e3o Neves and Nuno Mendes are likely to start having come off the bench in the 3-1 win against Toulouse at the weekend. Prediction: PSG to win the first leg and the tie.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> Arne Slot has warned Liverpool will suffer another emphatic defeat should they switch off against Paris Saint-Germain<\/a> in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday evening but believes his toiling team can save their season by going \u201ctoe-to-toe\u201d with the European champions.<\/p>\n The pressure on Liverpool and their head coach has intensified following Saturday\u2019s 4-0 capitulation against Manchester City<\/a> in the quarter-final of the FA Cup. Florian Wirtz disagreed with the captain Virgil van Dijk\u2019s damning assessment that Liverpool \u201cgave up<\/a>\u201d at the Etihad Stadium, but both the \u00a3116m playmaker and Slot admitted there can be no repeat of that performance at Parc des Princes.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Preamble<\/p>\n Life moves pretty fast. You don\u2019t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. When Liverpool were drawn against Paris Saint-Germain<\/a> in the Champions League 11 months ago, they were strong favourites to beat a side who finished 14 places below them in the league phase. Right there, right then, Liverpool looked the best team in Europe \u2013 but PSG beat them on penalties after a fascinating struggle and never looked back.<\/p>\n A year on, few people give Liverpool a prayer against the reigning champions, who again seem to be peaking at the perfect time. Liverpool are not so much peaking as lurching; their results this season make a Jackson Pollock look neat and tidy by comparison. After a promising start at the Etihad on Saturday, they collapsed to a 4-0 defeat<\/a>. If their heads drop as quickly tonight, things could get ugly.<\/p>\n Then again, we thought things were going to get phenomenally ugly at half-time in Istanbul. The Champions League<\/a> music tends to stiffen the sinews of Liverpool players, particularly when they are underdogs. Arne Slot would love his own little miracle in the city of light.<\/p>\n Kick off 8pm.<\/p>\n
Champions League<\/a> group stage
Liverpool 3-2 PSG; PSG 2-1 Liverpool<\/p>\n
Champions League last 16
PSG 0-1 Liverpool; Liverpool 0-1 PSG
PSG win 4-1 on penalties<\/p>\n![\"Barry](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Barry-Glendenning-L.png\")
Barry Glendenning<\/p>\n![\"Andy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Andy_Hunter.png\")
Andy Hunter<\/p>\n