Paul Merson is eagerly anticipating the second leg of Liverpool’s Champions League round-of-16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain and insists that the outcome is still firmly in the balance.
The Reds take a 1-0 lead with them back to Anfield for next Tuesday’s rematch, but it needed a nine-save masterclass from Alisson Becker to ensure that they weren’t comprehensively beaten at the Parc des Princes.
Harvey Elliott’s late goal has given Arne Slot’s team the advantage in the tie, but considering how PSG dominated the match, they’ll believe that they can overturn the deficit on Merseyside – Vitinha most certainly does.
Merson warns Liverpool that they need to improve
Speaking on Sky Sports shortly after the final whistle on Wednesday night, Merson warned Liverpool that they still have much to do if they’re to secure a place in the quarter-finals.
He claimed: “I still don’t think this tie is over. If PSG can get to anywhere near those levels at Anfield they will score but, you know, European nights at Anfield.
“I just can’t get my head around that result. They were unbelievable, PSG, and Liverpool have gone on and won, but I can’t wait for the next leg. It will be an outstanding, intriguing game.”
Merson was then asked if the nature of Liverpool’s victory suggests that they’re destined to win the Champions League outright, to which he replied: “Too early to say. If they play like that in other games…they could’ve been blown away. Alisson was 10 out of 10.”
No point looking too far ahead; Liverpool still have a job to do next week
Liverpool would’ve been delighted with a win before kick-off, and given how the first leg played out, they’ll be ecstatic to go back to Merseyside with the upper hand in the tie. However, they’d be wise to heed Merson’s warning that there’s still work to do if they’re to reach the last eight.
As world-class as Alisson undoubtedly is, the Reds can’t bank on him pulling off such an incredible masterclass in every game, and Slot will be determined not to let PSG have as much of the ball at Anfield as they did last night.
Ideally the home side will enjoy a fast start next Tuesday and net an early goal to give themselves a cushion in the tie. Conversely, should the visitors score first, the momentum of the tie could swing significantly.
As for whether Liverpool can go on to win the tournament, they’ve every right to believe that they can, given the quality within the squad, but they’d be foolish to look too far ahead just now.
Forget about prospective quarter-final opponents; the Reds’ sole focus must be getting through the second leg against a PSG team who’ve proven to be of superior quality to anyone else we’ve faced this season, based on performances versus LFC.
We’d certainly take another win next week, and hopefully a more convincing display in tandem with it.
