Arne Slot admitted Liverpool were in survival mode against Paris Saint-Germain and will need the backing of Anfield to raise their level against the European champions in next weekâs Champions League quarter-final second leg.
Liverpool were fortunate to escape with a 2-0 defeat at Parc des Princes where Ousmane DembĂ©lĂ©, who missed a crucial chance for Barcelona in their 2019 semi-final against JĂŒrgen Kloppâs eventual champions, squandered several opportunities for Luis Enriqueâs star-studded side.
Goals from Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia have put PSG in command of the tie but Slot insisted Liverpool retain hope of reaching the semi-finals but will require a different approach on home soil to produce another Anfield comeback.
The Liverpool head coach said: âLast season at Anfield [in the last-16 second leg] we played a completely different game and after 30 minutes we could have been 2-0 up. But we will need to have a better performance and we definitely need our fans to help us create an atmosphere where we can rise to a better level than we did today.
âWe were in survival mode for large parts of this game, but maybe also in the period of the season we are in survival mode.
âYou try to find ways to make sure their qualities are not seen that much but thatâs really hard against this team. Last season we were in survival mode as well [in the first leg in Paris]. PSG was the better team but we didnât give up and thatâs why we have a chance now still in this tie. They kept us alive by not scoring a few open chances. And now we can bring the tie back to Anfield.â
Slot believes Liverpool can rouse themselves in the manner of their win over Galatasaray in the last 16 of the competition, despite being second best by some distance in Paris. âFootball has shown so many times that everything is possible,â he added. âRed cards, incidents, penalties yes or no, and donât forget that Anfield can do a lot. Our fans do make a big difference for us.
âBut thatâs also needed because I think it was completely clear today that we need our fans more than ever if we face this Paris Saint-Germain team.â
Luis Enrique, the PSG coach, said he expected his team to âsufferâ at Anfield but not to alter their positive approach away from home. âI donât think thereâs such a big gap between the two teams,â he said.
âWe know that it will be very difficult to play in Anfield. I have done it as a player and as a coach and it is always difficult. There will be suffering during this game but our mentality is always the same: whatever the stadium, whatever the team, we are going there to win and to qualify.â
Liverpool were fortunate to escape with a 2-0 defeat at Parc des Princes where Ousmane DembĂ©lĂ©, who missed a crucial chance for Barcelona in their 2019 semi-final against JĂŒrgen Kloppâs eventual champions, squandered several opportunities for Luis Enriqueâs star-studded side.
Goals from Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia have put PSG in command of the tie but Slot insisted Liverpool retain hope of reaching the semi-finals but will require a different approach on home soil to produce another Anfield comeback.
The Liverpool head coach said: âLast season at Anfield [in the last-16 second leg] we played a completely different game and after 30 minutes we could have been 2-0 up. But we will need to have a better performance and we definitely need our fans to help us create an atmosphere where we can rise to a better level than we did today.
âWe were in survival mode for large parts of this game, but maybe also in the period of the season we are in survival mode.
âYou try to find ways to make sure their qualities are not seen that much but thatâs really hard against this team. Last season we were in survival mode as well [in the first leg in Paris]. PSG was the better team but we didnât give up and thatâs why we have a chance now still in this tie. They kept us alive by not scoring a few open chances. And now we can bring the tie back to Anfield.â
Slot believes Liverpool can rouse themselves in the manner of their win over Galatasaray in the last 16 of the competition, despite being second best by some distance in Paris. âFootball has shown so many times that everything is possible,â he added. âRed cards, incidents, penalties yes or no, and donât forget that Anfield can do a lot. Our fans do make a big difference for us.
âBut thatâs also needed because I think it was completely clear today that we need our fans more than ever if we face this Paris Saint-Germain team.â
Luis Enrique, the PSG coach, said he expected his team to âsufferâ at Anfield but not to alter their positive approach away from home. âI donât think thereâs such a big gap between the two teams,â he said.
âWe know that it will be very difficult to play in Anfield. I have done it as a player and as a coach and it is always difficult. There will be suffering during this game but our mentality is always the same: whatever the stadium, whatever the team, we are going there to win and to qualify.â
