Paris Saint-Germain vs. Liverpool: UCL Match Preview, Odds & Predictions

On Wednesday, Paris Saint-Germain will host Liverpool at their Parc des Princes headquarters for a heavyweight game. While the Ligue 1 winners pounded Brest 10-0 on aggregate in a playoff thrashing, Arne Slot's squad swept the tournament to top the league phase standings.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

Even during the heyday of Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, and Neymar, PSG failed to win the coveted European championship. Since then, the powers that be have shifted their priority from acquiring current superstars to developing future stars under Luis Enrique's direction.

After looking like a train wreck in their league phase, Les Parisiens' new-look crop avoided a humiliating early departure from Europe with a three-game winning streak that included a 4-2 comeback victory against Manchester City. In the playoff round, they faced familiar opponents, saving their bacon.

After a 3-0 first-leg victory, PSG dominated the second-leg encounter by a score of 7-0, extending their winning streak in Europe's premier event to five games. PSG's current streak of consecutive Champions League matches is the longest since the 1994–95 season.

Their preparations for Wednesday's titanic showdown could not have gone better, as they extended their winning run to a fantastic ten matches across all competitions with a dominant 4-1 Ligue 1 triumph over Lille. However, the quality of their opponents will now go up a notch.

In fact, only one of the hosts' last 20 matches across all competitions has not ended in triumph—a 1-1 home draw with Reims towards the end of January—and to the surprise of no one, they are surging towards their customary top-flight crown as they sit 13 points clear at the Ligue 1 summit.

While PSG has been plagued by a Champions League last-16 curse, having been ousted from the tournament in five of the past eight seasons, the capital heavyweights have been used to winning French top-flight crowns.

PSG could do worse than copy Liverpool's approach to conquering the continent. A dead-rubber defeat against PSV Eindhoven aside, the Reds swept aside their other continental foes with minimal difficulty during the league phase.

After Slot's seven-game winning streak in the Champions League ended on matchday eight—a 3-2 setback to the Netherlands—the Reds nonetheless dominated the league phase and are still chasing a domestic and European triple.

The Merseyside giants are 13 points ahead of PSG in the Premier League rankings. They have won their last two games by identical scores of 2-0 against Manchester City and Newcastle United. On March 16, they will play Newcastle United in the final of the EFL Cup without Anthony Gordon.

The Reds may head into Wednesday's first leg on a three-game losing run in Champions League knockout games, but every one of those defeats was to Real Madrid - one of their league-phase victims - and they are the only side yet to lose an away game in the English top flight this season.

With just three wins from their last nine road matches across all competitions, Liverpool's overall away record is less than stellar. Also, the Premier League leaders have lost five consecutive away games against French teams in Europe since defeating Marseille in September 2008.

The most recent match between the two teams was in November 2018, and they lost 2-1 to PSG. However, just a few months earlier, Jurgen Klopp had managed a 3-2 victory at Anfield. The quarter-final matchup will determine whether Aston Villa or Club Brugge will be waiting with bated breath for the victor of this epic battle.

Paris Saint-Germain vs. Liverpool Team News

Having come through their thumping of Lille with no new injury concerns, PSG is blessed with a fully fit squad for Wednesday's first leg, where Enrique is blessed with the best selection concerns all over the field.

A handful of alterations from the triumph over Les Dogues ought to see Vitinha, Willian Pacho, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia - a rumored transfer target for Liverpool in January - come back into the XI, where captain Marquinhos is set for a milestone appearance.

The experienced center-back could make his 100th Champions League start on Wednesday, becoming the first player to do so exclusively for a French club and just the fourth Brazilian after Roberto Carlos, Dani Alves, and Thiago Silva.

Liverpool is not quite as fortunate on the injury front. Still, their three infirm players - Tyler Morton (shoulder), Conor Bradley (hamstring), and Joe Gomez (hamstring) - would have had minimal chances of starting on Wednesday anyway.

The same goes for suspended teenager Amara Nallo, who was sent off just four minutes into his Liverpool debut against PSV, and the irresistible force Mohamed Salah will be bidding to extend an all-time Champions League record.

Already on course for the greatest individual Premier League season ever, the 32-year-old has been involved in 20 goals from 30 UCL knockout matches, more than any other African player; Samuel Eto'o and Didier Drogba managed 19.

Our Predictions

Liverpool to win @ 2.80 on Sky247.ng

PSG may be breezing past their fellow Ligue 1 foes with consummate ease. Still, Enrique's men now face a significant step-up in quality against a Liverpool side boasting enviable resources in all thirds of the pitch.

Slot's men will not have it their way by any stretch, especially given their patchy away form. Still, they are well-rested following a weekend off and have our backing to eke out a potentially critical win before they endeavor to finish the job at Anfield.

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