On Tuesday, Paris Saint-Germain take on Liverpool at Anfield in the return leg of the Champions League Round of 16 2024-2025 (0-1 first leg) (kick-off 9pm, UTC+1). On the eve of this encounter, Parisian striker Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (24) answered a number of questions at a press conference.
Kvaratskhelia “We played great soccer.”
13% chance of qualification according to the statistics, and according to you ?
I think it’s tough 50-50. I think dominating against Liverpool isn’t easy, but we did it. We played great soccer. We need to concentrate on our game and be confident. We have to show that we’re here to win.
You’re familiar with the big atmospheres, do you talk about them within the group? Do you feel confident ?
We talk about everything in the dressing room. As I said, we’re confident. We’re thinking about tomorrow’s game. We’re lucky enough to be playing such a match and to be able to give it everything we’ve got.
Kvaratskhelia “We want to win, that’s our mentality.”
Are you at 90% of your capacity at PSG or more ?
I feel really good here. I’ve adapted very well and everyone has helped me a lot. I feel I can do a lot more, so I work very hard to do better every time.
How are you preparing mentally to topple Liverpool ?
We’re motivated, of course. When you play Liverpool at Anfield, they don’t need any special motivation. That’s also the case at PSG, we’re always motivated. And in the Champions League, it’s an honor. We want to win, that’s our mentality.
Kvaratskhelia “You have to look good, but above all you have to get results.”
Is it important for you to be a good-looking player ?
I love soccer, I love playing. I enjoy dribbling. But the most important thing for me is to help the team and be decisive. It’s all about winning games and titles. You have to look good, but above all you have to get results.
Did you give any advice to your team-mates at Anfield ? Did other players speak out ?
I’m not the only one to have played here. They also know what it’s like to play a match like this. It’s going to be a tough game, with a great atmosphere for them, but also for us. Our supporters are going to come and cheer us on.
The most important thing is to concentrate on soccer and doing our job. No matter where we’re playing, the aim is to win and we’re going to give it everything we’ve got.
Kvaratskhelia: “If we concentrate on our game and give it our all, anything is possible”.
Were you surprised by your domination in the first leg? Do you think you can do it again here ?
As I said, it’s going to be a tough game, but our aim will be to dominate like we did in Paris, to play with the same quality. It’s not easy to dominate against Liverpool and it’ll be more complicated here, but if we concentrate on our game and give everything, anything is possible. We’ll see how the game goes.
Is it the most important match of the year ?
It will be for this season, because the aim is to move forward and play in the final. All matches are important, but in the Champions League against Liverpool to reach the quarter-finals, it’s special. We’re losing at the moment, so it’s going to be a very important match.
Kvaratskhelia “If we’re at the same level, we can win and show that we can beat any team.”
How was the dressing room after the defeat? Had you ever dominated so much with a defeat at the end ?
We were disappointed, soccer can be unfair. But the next day, we were all smiles and we worked hard to play the same way. If we’re at the same level, we can win and show that we can beat any team.
Luis Enrique was responsible for the famous remontada and won last season at Barcelona.
He talks to us, yes, and he tells us to concentrate, to try as hard as we can, and that anything is possible. He knows these games well, and he gives us opportunities to see how we can play. We’re going to do our best on the pitch, we have a real opportunity.
Kvaratskhelia “The most important thing is to play and I’m making the most of it. I’ll do my utmost for the team.”
You play in every position with Luis Enrique, does that bother you? Do you prefer playing on the left ?
I think that when you play for PSG, position doesn’t matter. I’m in attack, ready to score and I’ll play where I have to and give it my all. The most important thing is to play and I’m making the most of it. I’ll do my utmost for the team.
Which match are you expecting ?
I think Liverpool will be more confident at home, because we know it’s going to be a tougher game than in Paris. They also have the confidence of victory. It’s going to be different. But we want to play our game and we’ll see the result, we’ll see who wins this battle.
What do you need to focus on ?
I think the most important thing is that in the last game we had a lot of chances, but we weren’t able to score. Tomorrow, it will be very important to be ready for every moment. If there are opportunities, we have to score. We have to use our team’s strengths.
