Liverpool head into Tuesday night’s clash with PSG knowing they need something special at Anfield.
A 2-0 first-leg deficit is not insurmountable, not for a club as well-versed in comebacks as the Reds, and the win over Fulham on Saturday has at least restored some belief amongst the Anfield crowd.
The performance was sharper, more controlled, and offered a glimpse of what Arne Slot’s side can do when things click. For Liverpool legend Steve Nicol, however, none of that changes the bigger picture.
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Rio Ngumoha celebrates after scoring for Liverpool during their Premier League match against Fulham at Anfield (Credit: Getty Images/ANDY BUCHANAN /AFP).
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Andy Buchanan/AFP
Steve Nicol insists Liverpool lack the quality needed to hurt PSG
Asked by ESPN if he had any hope of a Liverpool comeback after watching their win over Fulham, Nicol made it clear that his stance has not shifted, even with a morale-boosting result behind them.
“No, you’ve got to be realistic,” he replied. “What reason are we going to beat PSG? Tell me why we’re going to beat PSG?
“I said this last week, if you look back at all those great Anfield nights, the common denominator amongst them all is that Liverpool actually had a really good team at the time. Think of the team that beat Barcelona, that was a great team. If you want to go back to 70s, St Etienne, David Fairclough scoring in the last minute, it was a great team.
“This is not a good team and that’s why regardless of how loud and raucous and all the rest of it Anfield will be, because it will be at the start, you don’t have the actual basics to take advantage of that and you’re playing against a team you want nothing to do with.
Paris Saint-Germain FC v Liverpool FC - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Quarter-Final First Leg
Photo by Harry Langer/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images
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“So, unfortunately, I can’t come up with any reason why Liverpool will go through.”
In typical Nicol fashion, it is a brutally honest assessment which cuts through the emotion surrounding Liverpool’s European history. Anfield can help, but perhaps the gap will be just too big to bridge.
Liverpool have renewed belief, but Nicol is probably right
There’s no doubt Saturday’s win has given Liverpool fans something to cling to. Confidence looked higher, the structure improved, and key players such as Mohamed Salah really stepped up. An early goal at Anfield could change the entire dynamic.
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Jeremie Frimpong takes throw-in for Liverpool in front of Arne Slot
Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP via Getty Images
But Nicol’s point remains difficult to ignore. PSG operate at a level Liverpool have struggled to match, and already hold a healthy lead coming into the match.
More importantly, the French side carry a constant goal threat, and if they score at Anfield, the task quickly becomes monumental.
Hope is part of Liverpool’s DNA on European nights, and that is amplified by one hundred at Anfield. But this time, Nicol may have a point. You can never write anybody off in football, but for now this challenge does still look a step too far.
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