Liverpool welcome Paris Saint-Germain to Anfield on Tuesday as the 2018/19 Champions League group stage gets underway. The two most prolific teams in last season’s group stages go head-to-head in what is already being labelled the group of death.
Napoli and Red Star Belgrade complete Group C, but Jurgen Klopp’s men have nothing to fear after winning their opening five Premier League games.
The Reds finished runners-up in last season’s Champions League following a heartbreaking final defeat to Real Madrid, who also eliminated Les Parisiens in the first knockout round.
The French champions contain some of the biggest stars in world football, including a front three of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani, who will provide the ultimate test for a Liverpool defence which has only conceded two goals in five games.
What the managers are saying
“Paris are one of the favourites for the competition, for sure.
“This team is built for winning the Champions League. They have unbelievable quality.
“I have said it before, I like these challenges, but I only like it because I have a really good football team. If I was not a manager, I would watch this game.”
“We know that Anfield is one of the toughest trips in Europe. Saint-Etienne [on Friday] was a good rehearsal.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61429567/1034706338.jpg.1537198517.jpg)
“It was good for our confidence ahead of Tuesday’s match at Anfield against Liverpool. It will be a big test for us. We are confident, though.”
Napoli and Red Star Belgrade complete Group C, but Jurgen Klopp’s men have nothing to fear after winning their opening five Premier League games.
The Reds finished runners-up in last season’s Champions League following a heartbreaking final defeat to Real Madrid, who also eliminated Les Parisiens in the first knockout round.
The French champions contain some missing
Team news
Reds forward Roberto Firmino could feature despite suffering a terrible-looking eye injury in the 2-1 win over Tottenham on Saturday.
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson was dropped to the bench at Wembley as Klopp admits he is still getting up to speed after missing a large chunk of pre-season.
Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren are definitely out through injury.of the biggest stars in world football, including a front three of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani, who will provide the ultimate test for a Liverpool defence which has only conceded two goals in five games.
PSG had the luxury of resting Neymar for Friday’s 4-0 Ligue 1 victory over Saint-Etienne, while Mbappe also sat out due to suspension. Both are expected to return to the starting line-up on Tuesday.
But Paris will be without Italians Marco Verratti and Gianluigi Buffon, both of whom are suspended for incidents in the competition last season.
Predicted line-ups
Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Milner, Henderson, Keita; Salah, Firmino, Mane.
PSG XI: Areola; Meunier, T. Silva, Kimpembe, Bernat; Marquinhos, Rabiot; Mbappe, Neymar, Di MAria; Cavani.
Head to head
- Liverpool have faced Paris St-Germain twice before – over two legs in the semi-final of the 1996-97 Cup Winners’ Cup. PSG went through 3-2 on aggregate, having won the first leg 3-0 at home.
- Robbie Fowler and Mark Wright scored as Liverpool won the second leg of that tie 2-0 in April 1997 – the only time the French champions have visited Anfield before.
- PSG are taking part in their 11th Champions League campaign – their seventh in a row. Only Lyon (15) have more appearances in the competition among French clubs.
- This will be Liverpool’s first meeting in the Champions League with a side from France since the 2009-10 campaign, when they lost 1-2 to Lyon at Anfield before drawing 1-1 away from home in the group stages.
- Liverpool have won seven of their 12 previous European Cup/Champions League matches against French opposition (D1 L4) but have lost two of the past three at home (W1).
- PSG are winless in their past four Champions League matches against English sides (D3 L1) and have only kept one clean sheet in their previous 12 such games, a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge during the 2004-05 group stages.
- Last season, Liverpool became the first team to have three players with 10 or more goals in a single European Cup/Champions League campaign (Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, all with 10 goals each).
- Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has reached the knockout stages in four of his previous five Champions League campaigns as manager, losing two finals – in 2013 with Borussia Dortmund and 2018 with Liverpool.
