By Neel Shelat
An entertaining open sport within the offing
Particularly lately, clashes between Europe’s perfect groups have usually been pretty cagey affairs. Nonetheless, each Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool’s performances this season counsel that their assembly will actually dwell as much as the billing. They’re the highest scorers of their respective leagues by sizable margins and have additionally averaged over 2 objectives scored per sport within the UEFA Champions League.
One of many keys to Liverpool’s success beneath Arne Slot has been their capacity to deal severe harm in transition, in order that they definitely won’t thoughts an end-to-end affair on the Parc des Princes. Though Luis Enrique is usually considered a extra control-oriented coach, he too has proven a willingness to let issues open up in huge video games of late, so each side might nicely go at it with hammer and tongs.
Dembélé and Salah: two of the world’s most in-form attackers
A giant motive why each groups gained’t thoughts letting the sport open up is that they are going to again their star attackers to make the distinction when given the chance to run at objective. Ousmane Dembélé and Mohamed Salah are arguably the 2 most in-form gamers on this planet proper now, and can certainly be competing for the following Ballon d’Or at this charge.
Though Salah’s numbers look higher over the course of the season, the French ahead has been on an absolute tear of late after being deployed in a central position as the reply to PSG’s striker points. He has scored a whopping 21 objectives in his final 18 appearances throughout all competitions, only a few greater than the Egyptian worldwide’s 17 in the identical interval.
PSG’s scintillating kind
Paris Saint-Germain are probably the most in-form group among the many Champions League’s final 16. They’ve gained 19 and drawn the opposite two of their final 21 matches throughout all competitions, with the checklist of outcomes together with a 4-2 overcome Manchester Metropolis, three wins over Monaco together with one within the French Tremendous Cup and a 10-0 mixture thumping of Brest within the UCL playoff that received them to this tie.
Might this be the season PSG break their UCL curse?
Paris Saint-Germain have famously by no means gained Europe’s premier continental competitors regardless of billions of Euros’ value of funding lately beneath Qatari possession. They faltered on the ultimate hurdle in 2020 and subsequently seemed to assemble an all-star squad together with an attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar, however the iconic trophy remained elusive.
With every of these gamers having now left the membership, this season marks the start of a brand new period for PSG. Certainly, Luis Enrique is amongst many who consider that they’re a greater group now, however solely time can inform whether or not they are going to miss some star energy within the Champions League knockouts.
Prediction
With little to separate the 2 sides, this tie ought to be anticipated to go all the way down to the wire. A rating draw will arrange an equally thrilling second leg at Anfield.
(Cowl picture from IMAGO)
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