Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has made it clear that his team must show their best version when they take on Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their Champions League round-of-16 clash.
With a narrow 1-0 advantage from the first leg, Slot believes his squad must step up to secure their spot in the quarterfinals.
What Arne Slot said ahead of Liverpool vs. PSG clash at Anfield?
Speaking ahead of the crucial clash, Slot acknowledged the difficulty of facing a team as strong as PSG. Despite Liverpool’s victory in Paris, the head coach admitted that PSG’s quality and intensity posed serious challenges.
“I think [Liverpool will need to give the best performance of the season] because this is the most complete team we’ve faced so far,” Slot stated.
He highlighted PSG’s well-organized structure and their ability to play at an intense pace. “Of course, we’ve faced Arsenal and Manchester City. It’s not that there are big margins, but the intensity [PSG] played at combined with the quality they have — let’s be honest, we are talking about the richest club — so they have so much quality and a great manager because he brings the best out of every player.”
Slot also pointed out the importance of fan support at Anfield. He emphasized that while his side did not play poorly in the first leg, they must show improvement in the second leg.
“Some people said we played poor, I don’t agree. I think they played tremendously well. I do think we can do better. We are a better team than we were last week, and that’s something we have to prove tomorrow with the help of our fans.”
MORE: Arne Slot labels PSG as ‘Liverpool’s best opponents this season’ over Man City, Arsenal and Real Madrid
What Liverpool forward Diogo Jota said?
Liverpool forward Diogo Jota, who started in Paris, echoed his manager’s sentiments. He admitted that the first leg was one of the toughest matches they had played this season.
“Yes, I think so, at least in my opinion. I obviously missed some games this season, but I think the way the game went was not the plan,” Jota said.
He acknowledged PSG’s dominance in possession but remained confident that Liverpool will perform better at Anfield.
“They had the ball more than we expected. They dominated the game, they created chances. Obviously, we were too far away from their goal a lot of the time, but in the end, we won the game. We know that tomorrow with our fans, we want to show a different face, and the game will be different for sure.”
Liverpool now have the chance to seal their quarterfinal spot, but they will need to prove they can handle the challenge PSG will bring to Anfield.
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