Tuesday 18th September 2000hrs Liverpool v PSG Football – England – Champions League We do not have to wait long for the first mouth watering encounters in this year’s Champions League group stage as last year’s runners up host a team many felt were favourites for the competition 12 months ago – and should be once again. It’s arguably the clash of the two best attacking teams in Europe and also pits Jurgen Klopp against the man who replaced him as Dortmund manager, Thomas Tuchel. There’s few places better than Anfield on a big European night and that’s what we have here as Liverpool take on PSG – continue reading for a match preview and selected best betting tip.
The final in Kiev last season proved to be one too many for Liverpool and although they were dreaming of winning another Champions League having gotten that far, it was an achievement in itself to reach the final. It will have whetted the appetite of Klopp and his players though and with the summer reinforcements getting up to speed the Reds look much better equipped to sustain a challenge a Europe’s top table. Saturday’s impressive win over Tottenham ensured they come into Tuesday’s game with a maximum haul of 15 points from their first five games. The performance against Spurs was their best of the season to date with the only disappointment being that they could manage just the two goals when they should have scored another couple at least. Klopp was not pleased with how wasteful his team were on Saturday because he knows they can ill afford to do the same against the standard of opposition they will face tomorrow. PSG will be a massive test, of that there is no doubt, but they will relish the challenge due to how strong they are at home in Europe – you have to go back to 2014 for the last time they lost at Anfield in this competition.
Just under a year ago PSG had thumped Bayern Munich 3-0 in Paris, taking them on to maximum points after the first two group games with eight goals scored and zero conceded and the newly formed striking trio of Neymar, Edison Cavani and Kylian Mbappe all in blistering form. They were installed as favourites following that match and ended in the group stage in top spot. Unfortunately for them – and particularly Unai Emery – that’s where it all started to go wrong in Europe. Unluckily drawn against Real Madrid in the last 16, a couple of unfortunate goals late on in the first leg and Neymar being injured in between that match and the second leg virtually ended their participation in the competition for another season. Despite winning the domestic treble Emery was promptly relieved of his duties as his spell failed to see the Parisians make the required impact in Europe which is the owners ultimate aim and ambition. Tuchel has been brought in to do just that and he will be expected to get the utmost from an outrageously expensive squad. They’re still a team who have never been beyond the quarter finals of this competition which is simply not good enough. And turning on the style in the group stage before Christmas is not sufficient.
Liverpool v PSG Betting Tip
When kick off comes tomorrow there will be hundreds of millions of pounds worth of talent on the Anfield grass with some of the biggest names in football. It may not be everybody’s cup of tea due to the finances involved but it is exactly what UEFA want and is the perfect occasion to get this year’s Champions League off and running. The side story of Klopp and Tuchel only adds to it.
Liverpool were the highest scoring team in last year’s competition and scored an incredible 20 goals in six home games. PSG were not far behind them despite exiting in the first knockout phase but as alluded to above most of those were against weaker opposition in the group stages. This could easily be a game fit for the latter stages such is the quality that both possess and will be a good marker for the two teams. Liverpool and PSG have 100% records in their domestic leagues so will be full of confidence coming into this game, although it’s the visitors who have been more prolific in the opening stages, as you may expect.
PSG are traditionally fast starters in Europe whilst their hosts are extremely strong at home. Liverpool are definitely much better organised this season but they will face the best attacking trio going around and all three have started in ominous form. Tuchel spoke about a confidence within his group of players and whilst it was Liverpool who reached the final last season I am keen to be on the side of PSG in this one and possibly for the whole thing.
Selection: PSG 12/5 @ Betfred
