Liverpool knew they’d have to be at their best to come away from the Parc des Princes with anything on Wednesday night.
PSG have been the form team in all of Europe over the past few months, winning 10 games on the spin.
With the home crowd full of confidence and right behind their team, Liverpool knew they may have to suffer for long periods of the Champions League last-16 clash.
Ultimately, that’s exactly what happened. PSG came out the blocks brilliantly, with Liverpool looking a little shellshocked.
The Reds were incredibly fortunate to get in at half-time level with the score at 0-0, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia having a goal ruled out for the tightest of offsides and Alisson Becker turning in an incredible performance.
Having made it to the break with their clean sheet in tact, though, something surely had to change at half-time. And according to former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock, Arne Slot made his tweaks.
Photo by Rico Brouwer/Soccrates/Getty Images
Photo by Rico Brouwer/Soccrates/Getty Images
Arne Slot makes Liverpool half-time change
It was perhaps a slight surprise to see Liverpool come out for the second-half unchanged in terms of personnel.
The Reds were really poor throughout much of the first-half, with a number of players well, well below their best.
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Sloppy in possession and incredibly lethargic out of it, it was difficult to see what Liverpool had been working on during a full week’s rest.
And although their were no substitutions at half-time, Warnock noticed a small tactical switch from Slot when the Reds came out for the second-half.
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“I think the pressing is different,” the pundit told BBC Sport. “Liverpool are going after them with more intent. In the first half it was more passive from Liverpool.
“You have to credit PSG. They’ve been superb when they have the ball.”
Did Slot’s tweak work?
There’s little question that Liverpool were better during the second-half against PSG.
However, the Reds still looked by far second best against the French champions. The pitch looked enormous for Liverpool players while their opposite numbers glided about the field.
There were one or two better moments for the Reds, and when they did manage to get at PSG they did find some space and get some joy.
But by and large, there was just not enough of a change for Liverpool.
Whether it was just the class of PSG or perhaps the week off taking some rhythm out of Liverpool, the just weren’t at it. It has to be better next week.