Liverpool must pull off another famous European comeback under the Anfield lights if they are to advance to the semi-finals.
They faced Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg last week in France, where goals from Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia were the Reds’ undoing.
Arne Slot’s side must also tread carefully if they are to knock out the reigning European champions, as four players could potentially miss the first leg of the semi-finals.
High-profile players missing the first contest between either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid would be detrimental to the Merseyside outfit’s dreams of lifting their seventh European Cup in Budapest if they can get past Luis Enrique’s side.
Players at risk
Club captain Virgil Van Dijk is one of the names that face a potential suspension. He will have a tough evening once again, with Ousmane Dembele testing him again, and he should have scored at least once in the Parc des Princes.
His Dutch teammate, Ryan Gravenberch, is another who is under threat. He didn’t start against Fulham at the weekend as Slot’s troops secured a 2-0 victory. With him being rested, it’s likely he will start the match this evening.
The man who Gravenberch replaced, Curtis Jones, is a booking away from missing the semi-final tie. The scouser was brought off at half-time with a suspected injury, though he did train on Monday. It’s not clear whether he will be available from the start.
The final one is Alexis Mac Allister, who picked up a booking last week against the Ligue 1 leaders with a poorly judged challenge. He was also on the bench on the weekend against the Cottagers.
One major risk is that three of the four players are midfielders, the area of the pitch where the Reds struggled to get any momentum going in France.
Vitinha, Joao Neves and Warren Zaire-Emery were dominant, so Slot’s squad will need to bring the fight to them if they are to have an easier evening.
Liverpool need to be aggressive
If the Reds are to put their opponent on the back foot, they will need the crowd behind them, but to get that, they will need to showcase determination to get the fans to believe.
Therefore, Slot’s starting XI must be perfect, as players can’t afford to hold back in challenges, even with jeopardy that comes with it.
In the club’s semi-final against Barcelona in 2019, Fabinho picked up a yellow card for a strong challenge on Luis Suarez and continued to battle to make sure Jurgen Klopp’s team reached the final.
Players can’t be thinking too far ahead with the task at hand, as they must pull off another remarkable comeback on Merseyside, and they need to bring the energy to get everyone fully behind the team.
The threat of suspension is real, but Liverpool can’t hesitate, and their focus must remain on completing a European comeback, rather than worrying about what could lie beyond the evening.
