Some said that Arsenal and Bayern were better than us

Liverpool hosts Paris Saint-Germain tonight in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16, with kick-off set for 20:00 at Anfield.

Holding a narrow 1-0 advantage from the first leg in Paris, the Reds aim to secure their place in the quarter-finals, but head coach Arne Slot has made it clear that his team will not adopt the same deep defensive approach that secured the victory in France.

Liverpool’s win at the Parc des Princes was built on discipline and resilience, yet it was far from a dominant performance. With only two shots and just 29% possession, the Reds spent most of the match absorbing PSG’s attacks. That strategy worked in securing a crucial away goal and keeping a clean sheet, but Slot knows a similar approach might not be enough to hold off a side boasting the attacking threat of Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and Vitinha for another 90 minutes.

"We won’t play for a draw," Slot stated ahead of the game. "That didn’t happen at Manchester City, and it didn’t happen at PSG either. We gained confidence from our home game against City, where we had much more of the ball and it was a far more balanced match. But this is the most complete team we’ve faced so far."

Liverpool’s task is far from simple. A one-goal lead is fragile, especially against a PSG side that has the pace and quality to turn the tie around in an instant. With Mbappé expected to play a key role, and PSG improving their pressing intensity in recent months, Slot knows his team will need to deliver their best performance of the season to advance.

"We’ve already faced Arsenal and City, and while the margins are not huge, the intensity that they [PSG] bring, combined with their quality they are also one of the richest clubs and a great coach in Luis Enrique, makes them a very difficult team to play against," Slot admitted. "Some of them said that Arsenal and Bayern were better than us. That’s what I heard, but I think what matters is how much PSG has improved over the last two or three months since they played against Arsenal and Bayern. Against Arsenal, they sat deeper, waited much more, and now they press all over the pitch and constantly take risks in one-on-one situations. I can’t influence how they feel, and I don’t even know if that’s true or not, but I hope they have a different opinion after this game."

Liverpool will need to strike the right balance between defense and attack. They cannot afford to simply sit back and absorb pressure for the entire match, but they also must be cautious of PSG’s counter-attacking threat. An early goal for the home side could force the visitors to take more risks, opening up space for Liverpool to exploit.

Mohamed Salah, who missed the first leg due to injury, is expected to return tonight and could be a decisive factor in Liverpool’s attack. His experience, goal-scoring instinct, and ability to produce big moments on European nights could be exactly what the Reds need to put the tie beyond PSG’s reach.

For Luis Enrique, tonight’s game represents a crucial test. PSG must chase the result, but they cannot be reckless. With Mbappé’s future still uncertain amid links to Real Madrid, the French club’s supporters will be expecting their star forward to deliver on one of the biggest nights of the season.

With Anfield set to be a cauldron of noise, Liverpool will hope to use their home advantage to get the job done and book their place in the quarter-finals. PSG, however, will arrive with ambition and firepower, knowing that just one moment of brilliance could change everything. The stage is set for a thrilling showdown under the Anfield lights.