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Liverpool face PSG in the Champions League last 16 second leg at Anfield and hold a 1-0 aggregate lead.
Luis Enrique is adamant that either Paris Saint-Germain or Liverpool will go on to reach the Champions League final - as one of the best teams in the competition is set to be eliminated.
The European heavyweights do battle when they meet in the last 16 second leg at Anfield on Tuesday night (8pm GMT). Both Liverpool and PSG are running away with their respective domestic titles and the meeting would be worthy of taking place in the Champions League’s showpiece in May. But one team will suffer heartbreak - and the other will advance into the quarter-finals.
Liverpool hold a slender 1-0 aggregate lead from last week’s encounter in the French capital. The Reds were dominated for much of the game, with PSG having 27 shots and visiting goalkeeper Alisson Becker making several fine saves. In the 87th minute, with their first shot on goal, Harvey Elliott bagged to deliver Arne Slot’s side a win.
Liverpool are afforded a home advantage for the return clash - and they know how much Anfield can be an advantage. The stadium is famous for its European nights and a white-hot atmosphere will be created. Enrique is wary how much of an influence Kopites could have in the ‘historic’ ground but is convinced his PSG troops can handle the pressure.
What’s been said
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Enrique said: “I am pretty convinced that absolutely every single one of my players will want to play. We know what Liverpool means with an historic stadium and a wonderful history. It's a huge source of motivation for the players and we want to show we are capable of putting in a performance.
“Our aim is always to be better than our opponents, it is tough particularly when you are playing away. I guess at home most of our results are positive. Everything starts with the way we play our football, that's where we draw out confidence from. We know there are areas we have to improve. We are focused on playing football, if we keep the ball we are able to play our own game and see how things develop over the course of the game.
“I almost never speak to players at the end of the game. There is no point because the players are thinking about the result. But after the game on Wednesday I wanted to pick them up and tell them they had done everything to get a result.
“One thing for sure, over the course of the two games we will be seeing two of the best teams in Europe, two contenders to win the Champions League. Whoever wins tomorrow will go through to the final, I’ve no doubt.”
‘Amazing fans’
PSG forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who was linked with Liverpool in January before moving to the Parisians, believes Liverpool will perform better than they did last week. But the Georgia international has insisted that he and his team-mates know what to expect from the ‘amazing’ Reds fans and can handle the occasion. He said: “I think tomorrow Liverpool will be more confident because they are playing home with these amazing fans so we know it will be a tougher game than in Paris and winning 1-0. It will be a different game but the important is the result. Let’s see who will win this battle.
"Our mindset is to win tomorrow. I love playing attractive football, but the most important thing is scoring goals and winning games. We know what to expect from Anfield, but we’ll have plenty of our fans there backing us. The key is to stay focused from the first minute.”
Related topics:Champions LeagueAlisson BeckerArne Slot
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