Arne Slot sends message to PSG after Liverpool’s Champions League win

Arne Slot was keen to remind Paris Saint-Germain how close Liverpool came to beating them last season as the two sides prepare to meet again in the Champions League.

Liverpool booked their spot in the competition’s quarter-finals with an impressive 4-0 home win against Galatasary at Anfield.

The Reds were trailing 1-0 after the first leg but were level on aggregate by half time through Dominik Szoboszlai’s well-worked set-piece goal.

Hugo Ekitike then put Liverpool two goals in front in the 51st minute before Ryan Gravenberch struck from close range two minutes later.

Mohamed Salah, who missed a penalty in the first half, then scored a brilliant effort to complete Liverpool’s 4-0 win.

Slot’s side now face the defending champions in the last eight after Luis Enrique’s side dismantled Chelsea over two legs to win 8-2 on aggregate.

The two sides did come to blows last year, with Liverpool ultimately knocked out on penalties despite an impressive 1-0 away win in the first leg.

And while expecting a similar test this time around, Slot is confident that PSG will be not be relishing the prospect of taking on his side again.

‘Last season, when we lost against them, we were completely outplayed away from home,’ the Dutchman told TNT Sports.

‘I think we played a great game here at Anfield but in the end we lost on penalties.

‘To be fair, they haven’t dropped their standards. It was hardly possible for them to improve but they’ve been very impressive until now.

‘But I think after seeing our performance tonight, they won’t be that happy to be playing against us, especially because also last season we were the only team that could bring them to extra-time and penalties.’

PSG looked in ominous form against Chelsea over two legs, but Reds legend Steve McManaman doesn’t believe the defending champions are quite the same threat that they proved 12 months ago.

‘It depends what PSG turns up,’ he said.

‘Everybody focused on what they’ve just done to Chelsea, but if you go back two games, they only just knocked out Monaco in the play-off round, they struggled against Newcastle at the Parc Des Princes.

‘So their form hasn’t been as good as it was last year, but it’s just whether they are hitting form now. They’re an outstanding team and they’re starting to peak at the right time, but they’re not as dominant as they were last year. Not by far.’

Analysing the tie further, former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard said: ‘Liverpool have to be perfect to go through to the semi-final, but you’ve to remember what happened last year and, to a man, you’ve got to be at it and all-in.

‘If Liverpool can find that type of level, they’ll give PSG a game over the two legs.’

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