Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool will face off in the Champions League quarter-finals on April 8 (at the Parc des Princes) and 14 (at Anfield). This highly anticipated match has prompted Christophe Jallet, a former defender who notably played for PSG and is now a pundit for Canal+, to be invited by Le Parisien to give his assessment of the Reds.
Jallet: “Overall, everything is a bit weaker.”
“Is Liverpool really weaker than last year?”
“For me, yes. They started well before faltering due to a lack of confidence, a lack of cohesion, and injuries. Collectively, the team seems weaker to me: Van Dijk is getting older, Salah is far from his best. Overall, everything is a bit weaker, but they remain a great club, a formidable opponent capable of striking at any moment.”
What are the weaknesses of this team?
If we focus on away games, things are more complicated defensively. Up front, they create chances, but they’ve lost the clinical finishing that was their strength in both penalty areas.
Jallet: “So far, they’ve managed to bounce back.”
Do they seem to rise to the occasion in big matches?
So far, they’ve managed to bounce back. After last week’s defeat, they didn’t falter against a Galatasaray side that was, admittedly, quite weak. The atmosphere at Anfield isn’t the same in the Champions League as it is in the league. It’s a factor to consider, even if Paris managed it well last season.
This is a fairly general observation about Liverpool’s season. The Premier League champions are now 5th in the league and are far from having dominated the Champions League as they did last season. After a very busy transfer window, the Reds have struggled to find stability. It’s also worth noting that their elimination in the Round of 16 against PSG last season was a bitter pill to swallow.
However, it’s also important to highlight that they still have a very strong squad and a playing philosophy that hasn’t disappeared. Liverpool is still capable of great performances; there’s no shortage of talent. The match against Galatasaray isn’t enough to confirm this, as they’re a team that doesn’t seem equipped to win the competition and struggles away from home.
We must still respect Liverpool, who caused PSG real problems last season. A sense of revenge could also be a factor. The Reds, even if it doesn’t necessarily give them a clear advantage. These will be two very big matches, which Paris seems to be approaching with more confidence. That’s not enough to qualify, though; we know the Champions League must be respected and things can change very quickly.
