Facing blue-shirted opponents in 3 consecutive matches, Liverpool clearly showed signs of decline when they successively faced Brighton and especially Manchester City, the team that crushed them 4-0 in the FA Cup.
Despite having two weeks of break during FIFA Days, Arne Slot's team did not show improvement. Erling Haaland's hat-trick and Antoine Semenyo's goal completely collapsed Liverpool at the Etihad.
After the match, captain Virgil van Dijk frankly admitted that the team had given up - a worrying sign in the context of gradually declining confidence in Slot.
In all competitions, Liverpool has suffered 15 defeats this season - the most since the 2014-2015 season under Brendan Rodgers. They have also only won 1 of their last 5 matches, even though it was a big win against Galatasaray in the Champions League.
Notably, Liverpool's away form is alarming as they have lost 4/5 recent matches, only winning against Wolves - the team ranked in the bottom group of the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain is showing completely opposite form. Luis Enrique's team is approaching the Ligue 1 championship, while maintaining a 4-game winning streak in all competitions, including 2 overwhelming victories against Chelsea.
PSG also shows stability in the Champions League when they have passed the quarter-finals in the last 4 seasons and are on a 7-match unbeaten streak against England representatives (5 wins, 2 draws).
In a context of opposite form, the confrontation between the two domestic champions promises to be a huge challenge for Liverpool. Although the head-to-head history is quite balanced with each team having 3 wins, The Kop are clearly inferior in both form and spirit before this important match.
Personnel situation
At least, Liverpool did not have any more injuries after the heavy defeat last weekend. Arne Slot's team even welcomed the return of Mohamed Salah, Federico Chiesa and Jeremie Frimpong after a period of injury treatment.
However, Alexander Isak is still not ready to play due to a leg problem. The striker valued at £125 million is likely to only be on the bench.
In the opposite direction, goalkeeper Alisson Becker is almost certain to be absent until the end of the month. Besides, Conor Bradley (knee), Giovanni Leoni (front cruciate ligament) and Wataru Endo (ankle) are all out for the rest of the season.
In terms of personnel, using Joe Gomez instead of Frimpong may be a notable adjustment by Slot. Meanwhile, Salah will still play the main role in attack, despite the fact that he just missed a penalty in the most recent match.
On the Paris Saint-Germain side, the French team also does not have the strongest force. Bradley Barcola - Liverpool's potential target - will be absent due to an ankle injury. In addition, Fabian Ruiz (knee) and young talent Quentin Ndjantou will also be unable to participate.
However, PSG received good news when Senny Mayulu returned to training after a minor injury. Besides, key players such as Vitinha, Joao Neves, Nuno Mendes and captain Marquinhos are likely to return to the starting lineup in the upcoming match.
Expected lineup:
PSG: Safonov, Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes, Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Neves, Doue, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia.
Liverpool: Mamardashvili, Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Salah, Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Ekitike.
The match between PSG and Liverpool takes place at 2:00 AM on April 9 (Vietnam time).
