Champions League: Advantage Liverpool but PSG might Channel their Pain

Liverpool vs Paris Saint-Germain

Liverpool host Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday in a high stakes Champions League clash with Arne Slot’s Reds holding the cards after they earned a smash and grab win in Paris last week.  

Luis Enrique’s team totally dominated the first leg, registering 27 shots to Liverpool’s two, but a late goal from Harvey Elliot turned the match on its head, and that after defender Ibrahima Konate had been lucky to avoid a sending off. So the Parisiens were in a whole load of pain at the final whistle and they will be on the hunt for revenge.    

Both teams won at the weekend. Liverpool recovered from a one goal deficit to beat Southampton 3-1 at Anfield while PSG won 4-1 away to Rennes to leave both teams 16 points clear at the top of their domestic leagues.

They are each top dogs at home… but which team can rule in Europe?  

Talking Points

Leggy Liverpool are still winning

The latest Champions League 2025 betting odds rate Slot’s team as joint third favourites to win the title, after Barcelona and Bayern Munich and alongside Real Madrid, so they are in esteemed company indeed. The SBOTOP odds make the Reds the hot favourites to get through this tie at a price of 1.26 but they will have to play better than they did at the Parc des Princes and indeed in the first half against the Saints.

But, while they haven’t been at their fluent best and looked jaded in the first half of their league match last Saturday, Liverpool are still churning out the wins and that is a habit of champions. Supersub Elliot, who saved Liverpool last week, has scored three goals in the Champions League, alongside Mo Salah, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo; but the absence of the Dutch forward with injury has coincided with the Reds’ struggles and his pace and dynamism have been missed. Slot hasn’t ruled him out but Gakpo seems unlikely to start and that may give another chance to Darwin Nunez, who ended a dry streak with a well taken goal against Southampton.  The Uruguayan has struggled for goals and game time this season but his work ethic is never in doubt so he could be a man to up the energy for the hosts on Tuesday.   

PSG’s front three sharpen up 

Ousmane Dembele, with six goals in the Champions League, and Bradley Barcola and Goncalo Ramos with three, have all had impressive campaigns; but none of the Paris strikers could breach the Liverpool defence as keeper Allison played the game of his life. They found their feet again on Saturday though as Ousmane scored his 20^th league goal of the campaign with a late brace while Barcola and Ramos were also on target.   

Last week both Barcola and Dembele scored in the 4-1 win over Lille, while Ramos scored a hat-trick in the 7-0 destruction of Stade Briochin in the Coupe de France two weeks ago; so there is little doubt they are in fine form and Liverpool fans will hope that lighting can strike twice and all three have another off day. It seems unlikely with supply coming from wingback Achraf Hakimi, who has made five assists in the competition. And there is more to come from January signing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia; the Georgian wing wizard is yet to fire on all cylinders but he showed at Napoli what a superb player he is, and he was desperately unlucky to have a brilliant goal ruled out for offside in the first leg.

PSG’s win at Rennes made it 37 games unbeaten on the road in the league so there won’t be any risk of homesickness on Tuesday; they just need to bring their shooting boots.   

History

Only two teams, Real Madrid and AC Milan have won more Champions League titles than Liverpool’s six and the Reds last lifted the trophy in 2019, beating Tottenham Hotspur in the final. Ever since becoming Europe’s big spenders PSG have long tried to break through the glass ceiling of the Champions League and they had their best run in 2020, only to be beaten 1-0 by Bayern with France winger Kingsley Coman scoring the winner. 

This is the fourth meeting between these two European giants and the Reds are ahead by two to one; both clubs winning their home tie when they met in the 2018 Champions League. 

Both have won five from the last six games, Liverpool held to a draw by Aston Villa while PSG lost this first leg.    

Betting Tip

The Reds are marching towards the Premier League title while the Parisiens are dead certs to pick up the France title too so is the biggest game of the week so far for both; though Slot’s men also have a Carabao Cup final against Newcastle United next week.

Liverpool are priced at SBOTOP odds of 2.12 to win the match, PSG at 2.72 and the draw at 3.40. The Champions League 2025 highlights from Anfield will be well worth a watch I’m sure. The Ligue 1 side have to go for it and the Reds are full of goals too.     

 

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