Liverpool

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French football journalist Julien Laurens says Paris St-Germain will "go for it" at Anfield after dominating Wednesday's Champions League round of 16 first leg against Liverpool despite a 1-0 defeat.

The French champions had 27 shots in the match - the second-most on record by a side in a Champions League knockout match in which they both failed to score and lost.

"This PSG team only plays one way home or away," Laurens told the Football Daily podcast.

"You can force them to play long because they can't get out of your press and make it difficult but they will always try and play.

"There were times I didn't really recognise the Liverpool team we have seen this season. Virgil van Dijk, the best defender in the world, doesn't time waste after 15 minutes, he doesn't often play that long. It's not often Mohammed Salah is that anonymous. PSG forced them to play like that."

Visiting Anfield next week will be a different proposition for Luis Enrique's side, and Laurens believes the Reds can disrupt their opponents in a similar way to what was done to them.

"I expect Liverpool to do the same next week to Paris and force them to not play their game," he added. "Liverpool will be in their faces and they also have a lead. They can't attack all the time and leave space in behind.

"The way both teams approach the game will be really interesting. For PSG they have to go for it. They might lose 3-1 for it because they will give Liverpool spaces, they will attack and try and play in their half like they did in Paris.

"It is much more difficult to do away from home, especially in Liverpool, and they might pay for it but they will go for it for sure."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

We asked for your thoughts after Liverpool's Champions League win against Paris St-Germain on Wednesday.

Here are some of your comments:

Mark: PSG 0 Alisson 1. Best goalkeeper performance I've ever seen, fantastic.

Mogga: Wow, if that had been a boxing match the ref would have stopped it. Big night for Alisson and Elliott with his first touch. You've got to believe anything is possible now.

Karen: Stunning game. Alisson deservedly man of the match. Robust performance by PSG but could not break Liverpool. Well done LFC! Onwards we go. Another great European win.

Christian: The longer that game went without a PSG goal, the more it felt probable Liverpool would snatch it. Inspired substitutions from Slot (the bravery to take off Mo) and a truly heroic, world-class performance from Alisson. The second leg will be must-see football. I can't wait.

Ray: "Lucky lucky Liverpool" is what everyone will be saying but who cares? Get in. Normally we are saying "what an attacking performance". This time it's "what a goalkeeping performance". Well done Alisson Becker.

Sam: Never seen Liverpool get dominated like that, Alisson was unreal. Anfield will be a different story.

Andy: Trent Alexander-Arnold defended excellently to be fair to him, Barcola and Kvaratskhelia didn't get any change out of him. Alisson will get the plaudits but Trent deserves some praise given all the flak he usually takes.

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"Best in the world" Alisson was "outstanding" for Liverpool in Wednesday's famous 1-0 win in the Parc des Princes, says former Reds defender Stephen Warnock.

His nine saves were the most by a Liverpool goalkeeper in a Champions League game since Opta started recording the data in 2003-04.

"It was just phenomenal," Warnock told the Football Daily podcast. "It wasn't one world class save, there was three or four in there. I just thought he was outstanding.

"It's one of those games where no matter what they threw at him he was going to save it. He is, at his best, the best in the world for me.

"What will [Giorgi] Marmadashvilli be thinking now at Valencia? 'I'm meant to replace this guy or get in front of him?' Big gloves to fill.

"He's superb at reading situations. There was one in the second half where he allowed the ball to bounce because he knew when it bounced up he could punch it away as he dived for it. The awareness of what's around him and how to deal with situations is amazing.

"His decision-making his exceptional. He doesn't come out into a crowd really and try and catch things because he's probably not as tall as most other goalkeepers.

"His punching and distribution is phenomenal but for me it's those one-v-one situations. [Ousmane] Dembele in the first half probably thinks he's got four or five yards on Alisson and can pick his head up but before he knows it's there's a guy in yellow who has closed the space. He does it so so quickly."

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Liverpool are lining up a £40m move for Bournemouth's 21-year-old Hungary left-back Milos Kerkez. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

Real Madrid are interested in 25-year-old France defender Ibrahima Konate. (Mail - subscription required), external

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Liverpool boss Arne Slot, speaking to TNT Sports after Wednesday's Champions League win against Paris St-Germain:

"There were a lot of similarities with our game against Manchester City, where we faced a team that is so good in ball possession and have some great wingers that dominate one v one situations.

"I said before the game that we would not dominate ball possession over here. The only thing I can blame my players for is that four, five or six times we tried to play through them and it was completely open and the last touch should be better.

"Maybe it was due to tiredness from defending so much. That is sometimes difficult after defending so much.

"If you look at the underlying stats in the Champions League too, it shows you they were number one and they have already played Atletico Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Arsenal. To have the best stats after facing that quality tells you a lot.

"For us, the only way over here with their fans behind them was to defend as we did. Now we are hoping that our fans at Anfield will help us a lot. We will need Anfield two times."

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Liverpool goalscorer Harvey Elliott, speaking to TNT Sports after his winner against Paris St-Germain:

"Full credit to the team, you could see that PSG became a bit tired towards the end and that was down to the team's workrate.

"They were creating many chances but thanks to this man [Alisson] and the defence, we did it. It was down to me to put the opportunity away and thankfully it went in."

On Alisson's performance: "No words. This guy is unbelievable. The best in the world. Every game he shows it, he keeps us in so many games.

"Tonight I had an opportunity to repay this man. I don't know where we would be without him. Hopefully he can keep stopping them going in and we can keep finishing chances."

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Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, speaking to TNT Sports after Wednesday's Champions League win against Paris St-Germain:

"It was probably the performance of my life. The manager was telling us how hard it would be to play against PSG, how good they are with the ball and that we would have to be ready to suffer. We knew what was coming.

"We worked hard. We gave away so many chances, sometimes one v one, but the biggest part of the chase is having someone make the player with the chance think a bit more.

"All the efforts the team put in makes my job easier. Then at the end, Harvey [Elliott] coming in and scoring the goal, it is a great story for us. A great night."

• Have your say on Liverpool's win

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Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live after the Reds' Champions League win against Paris St-Germain:

"You need your goalkeeper to be at his very best - and he was.

"Harvey Elliott has just jumped on Alisson and given him a big hug. They're probably thinking how they got away with that - they got away with it because of Alisson. It was just a world-class performance from the goalkeeper.

"You buy those type of players for performances like that. That's why he was brought into the club, because he was recognised as arguably the best goalkeeper in world football.

"That's how you win titles, that's how they won the Champions League [in 2019] because Alisson was so key to the way they performed."

• Have your say on Liverpool's performance

Emlyn Begley
BBC Sport journalist

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Liverpool boss Arne Slot has enjoyed a magnificent first season in English football - with the Reds losing just four games - and only one of them was with their first team in a match of significance.

The Premier League leaders and Carabao Cup finalists are usually the team punishing the opposition but for the first time they were blown away - in every aspect bar the scoreline.

Brazil goalkeeper Alisson was the reason they came away from the French capital still in the tie.

He pulled off sensational saves, nine in total, to deny a host of PSG players including Ousmane Dembele (twice), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (four times) and substitute Desire Doue (twice).

The visitors had managed precisely one shot before the goal, Luis Diaz's off-target effort in the 44th minute.

But Harvey Elliott stunned the hosts 46 seconds after coming off the bench to replace top scorer Mohamed Salah, who had a rare quiet night.

Alisson played a long ball up to Darwin Nunez, who controlled the ball and picked out Elliott in space. Gianluigi Donnarumma got a touch to his first-time strike but could not stop it settling in the bottom corner.

That goal now makes Liverpool favourites to set up a quarter-final tie with Aston Villa or Club Brugge.

Harvey Elliott's late goal secured a 1-0 win for Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie in Paris.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Liverpool's performance

Come back to this page on Thursday to find a selection of your replies

There are four Champions League last-16 games on Wednesday and BBC Sport will bring you all the action.

• Feyenoord v Inter Milan (17:45)

• Bayern Munich v Bayer Leverkusen

• Benfica v Barcelona

• Paris St-Germain v Liverpool - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times: 20:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all the action and reaction here

Raphael Jucobin
BBC Sport

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The all-conquering form of a rejuvenated Paris St-Germain would have seemed unlikely at the start of the season.

Portugal international Goncalo Ramos was sidelined for three months with an ankle injury, while Randal Kolo Muani was progressively phased out of the team, eventually culminating in his loan move to Juventus this winter.

Initially, it was Bradley Barcola, from the left wing, who took up the mantle by scoring 10 times in the first 11 league games of the campaign.

Having carried over his goalscoring form to international duty amid Kylian Mbappe's absence from Les Bleus, the 22-year-old was looking increasingly at ease in carrying the now-Real Madrid man's responsibilities for club and country.

His form only faintly translated to Champions League fixtures, though, as was the case for the rest of the team. Successive false-nine experiments, notably involving Kang-in Lee and Ousmane Dembele, were proving mostly ineffective as the team registered just one win in the first five European matchdays.

The team's league stage campaign, branded by manager Luis Enrique as "unjust" given the tough draw they faced, was stunted by an inability to capitalise on their dominance in possession in most games.

A disastrous early exit in January was an increasingly credible prospect, until the pieces of the Spaniard's plan finally began to fall into place.

PSG's free-scoring run since January has included 18 goals in four European encounters, a figure admittedly inflated by Brest's unfortunate collapse in their play-off tie.

Read the full feature

Liverpool manager Arne Slot says that the upcoming Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain is a "great fixture to look forward to for everyone who enjoys football."

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Former Liverpool midfielder Bolo Zenden believes Arne Slot's team will edge Paris St-Germain in the Champions League last 16.

The Reds finished top of the league phase and are also closing in on the Premier League title this season, while their hosts on Wednesday are cruising in Ligue 1 and appear to have rediscovered their mojo after a stuttering start to their Champions League campaign.

"Paris St-Germain are running away with the French league, so a common problem is knowing where they stand when they play in the Champions League," Zenden told BBC Radio 5 Live before the first leg at the Parc des Princes.

"I don't want to push Liverpool into the favourites role, but I think they could be the team that goes through with the second leg at home."

Whoever progresses out of Liverpool and PSG will face either Aston Villa or Club Brugge in the quarter-finals.

Before Liverpool's Champions League last-16 first leg at Paris St-Germain on Wednesday, midfielder Wataru Endo was asked for his reflections on how much playing time he has had this season.

The Japan midfielder has started just six games for Liverpool in all competitions so far and none in the Premier League.

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Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton thinks Liverpool face a daunting task if they are to beat Paris St-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday.

Liverpool travel to Parc des Princes before the return leg at Anfield on Tuesday, 11 March.

"I think this is a dangerous game for Liverpool," Sutton told BBC Radio 5 Live. "Of course, Liverpool are flying in the Premier League but I think Arne Slot was quite right about the draw - they would have much preferred Benfica.

"PSG have players who can really hurt Liverpool. Liverpool have had a phenomenal season but I think they've got their work cut out to beat PSG - I really do. I think it will be tight going to Anfield.

"I wouldn't rule anything out in this tie. I think that is the tie of the round and Liverpool have been phenomenal this season.

"Can they do the Champions League double along with the Premier League? Of course ,they've got the Carabao Cup final coming up and for them to be in this position, at this stage of the competition, nobody saw this coming from Arne Slot."