This will be just the third UEFA Champions League meeting between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain, with the two sides previously squaring off in the 2018-19 group stage, with the Reds winning 3-2 at home and losing 1-2 away.
Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain will face each other in the knockout stages of a major European competition for the first time since meeting in the semi-final of the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1996-97, with the Parisians progressing to the final following a 3-2 aggregate victory.
Liverpool haven't won any of their last five away games against French sides in Europe (D2 L3), with their last such victory coming at Marseille in September 2008 (2-1 in the UEFA Champions League).
Liverpool manager Arne Slot is unbeaten against French opposition in major European competition, winning two of his three matches and drawing the other. Indeed, the most recent of those was a 2-1 win over Lille in this season’s league phase in the UEFA Champions League.
Paris SG are on a five-game win streak in the UEFA Champions League, scoring 21 goals and only conceding three times in this run. They last won six in a row in the competition in the 1994-95 campaign, under Luis Fernandez (6).
Liverpool have lost each of their last three games in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League, although all three of those have been against Real Madrid (2021-22 final and home/away in 2022-23 last 16). Indeed, since the start of 2020-21, four of their five losses in the knockout stages of the competition have been against Real Madrid, with Internazionale (in March 2022) the only other side to beat them.
Paris SG’s Marquinhos could make his 100th UEFA Champions League start in this game (currently on 99). He’d be just the fourth Brazilian player to achieve this milestone, after Roberto Carlos (120), Dani Alves (108) and Thiago Silva (100), as well as the first player to make 100 starts for a French club in the competition (all for Paris SG).
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has been directly involved in 20 goals in 30 appearances in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League (12 goals, eight assists); the most by an African player in the competition’s history (one more than Samuel Eto'o and Didier Drogba).
Paris SG’s Achraf Hakimi leads all defenders in the UEFA Champions League this season for chances created (12) and assists (4) made while under high-intensity pressure from an opposition player. Indeed, his four such assists are the most of any player in the competition this term.
Among full backs with 300+ minutes played in the UEFA Champions League this season, the two players averaging the most line-breaking passes per 90 are Liverpool pair Andy Robertson (16.6) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (13.9).
Stephen Warnock
Image source, Getty Images
