Liverpool host PSG tonight in the UEFA Champions League, where a place in the quarter-finals is up for grabs.
Having come into tonight’s fixture at Anfield with a 1-0 advantage, Liverpool’s defensive resolve was finally broken by PSG as Ousmane Dembele capitalised on a poor Ibrahima Konate block to level the tie up at 1-1.
Despite going a goal down, Liverpool have shown much more fight in the return leg than they did in last week’s tie in Paris, with the Reds channeling the Anfield energy to actually give PSG a good game on Merseyside in this Champions League epic.
Yet pre-match, something unusual was spotted in regards to Liverpool’s team bus and the approach it took to Anfield this evening.
Photo by MB Media/Getty Images
Photo by MB Media/Getty Images
Liverpool came through Anfield’s side entrance before facing PSG
Posting on Twitter, journalist Aadam Patel noted that Liverpool came to Anfield through the side entrance rather than through the main gate, a sight that has become famous on European nights. The reporter posted: “Liverpool unusually coming in through the side entrance at Anfield.”
With Liverpool turning Anfield into a real weapon in recent years in the Champions League, the team bus taking a more secretive approach to the stadium paints an unusual picture of how the Reds are viewing the importance of tonight’s match.
Indeed, the Premier League is all-but wrapped up for Liverpool with Slot’s side 15 points ahead of Arsenal with ten games left to go, with this weekend’s League Cup final against a heavily weakened Newcastle United side a trophy that also looks to be in the bag for the Reds.
Yet with the Liverpool team bus taking a new approach to Anfield this evening for a must-win Champions League fixture, tonight’s match might not be seen as big a priority for Slot with two pieces of domestic silverware within the Reds’ grasp.
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How did Liverpool perform in the first-half against PSG?
As mentioned, Liverpool have put up much more a fight against PSG tonight compared to last week’s smash-and-grab win thanks to Harvey Elliott, with the Reds once again using Anfield to their advantage to spook an opposing side.
Liverpool Liverpool vs PSG first-half stats PSG
54% Possession 46%
1.01 Expected goals 1.97
10 Total shots 7
1 Big chances 4
5 Fouls committed 0
4 Corners 3
And whilst Liverpool have enjoyed more possession and shots than PSG, the Ligue 1 giants are proving to be more clinical than they were last week, with Dembele managing to beat Alisson Becker after being gifted the perfect chance by Konate.
With PSG also committing fewer fouls compared to Liverpool, the French side seem to have taken the right lessons from their surprise loss against the Reds last week, with the second-half poised to be a good one for the neutral.