Liverpool need best display of season to beat PSG: Slot / Photo: © AFP
Liverpool need best display of season to beat PSG: Slot
Arne Slot has urged Liverpool to produce their best performance of the season as they look to kill off Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last 16 second leg on Tuesday.
Slot's side rode their luck to beat the French champions 1-0 in Paris last week thanks largely to a superb display by Reds goalkeeper Alisson Becker.
The runaway Premier League leaders will have to improve on that patchy display to ensure they progress to the quarter-finals of a competition they last won in 2019.
Slot promised Liverpool will not sit back to defend their slender advantage at Anfield, revealing he has told his players to raise the performance levels to new heights.
"We want to play a different game, the intention is always the same, we are not going to go for a draw," he told reporters on Monday.
"That is also what we tried to do last week, it wasn't our intention to be so low all the time.
"At Manchester City away that wasn't the situation, at PSG that wasn't the situation. But we do take confidence from our home game against City where we did have the ball much more and it was much more of an equal game."
In a dream first season in charge for Slot, Liverpool are 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League as they chase a record-equalling 20th English title.
They also face Newcastle in the League Cup final at Wembley on Sunday.
- 'The most complete team' -
But, asked whether it would require Liverpool's best performance under him to defeat PSG, Slot said: "Yes. I do think so. This is the most complete team we have faced so far.
"We have faced Arsenal and City and they are not big margins but the intensity PSG play at combined with the quality - and they are one of the richest clubs - and a great manager it is not easy to play against."
On the 39 previous occasions they have won the first leg of a European tie, Liverpool have gone through to the next round.
Their record at Anfield is also formidable, having lost just once since April at a stadium that generates a wall of sound on high-stakes European nights.
Responding to suggestions in France that Liverpool were less impressive than Arsenal and Bayern Munich against PSG this season, Slot said that was credit to Luis Enrique's improved Ligue 1 leaders.
"Some of them have said Arsenal and Bayern Munich were better than us. That is what I have heard," said Slot, who is boosted by the return from injury of Dutch forward Cody Gakpo.
"I think what that has to do with is how PSG improved a lot in the two to three months since they played at Arsenal and Bayern.
"At Arsenal they were lower, waiting much more and now they just press all over the pitch and take the risk of one-v-one constantly.
"I cannot influence what they felt, and don't even know if it is true or not, but I'm hoping they have a different opinion after Tuesday."
F.Lim--TNT
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