Seeking to take another step towards retaining their European crown, Paris Saint-Germain host Liverpool in the first leg of a Champions League quarter-final tie on Wednesday night.
The star-studded Parisians may have blown hot and cold during the league phase, but they now look to be hitting top gear as Europe’s premier club competition heads towards the business end.
Luis Enrique’s side ruthlessly dismantled Chelsea 8-3 on aggregate in the previous round to set up this clash with Liverpool.
Domestically, PSG are also ticking along nicely, extending their lead at the summit to four points over the weekend with a 3-1 win over Toulouse.
As for Liverpool, they will need to pick themselves up off the canvas quickly after a 4-0 hammering away at Manchester City in the FA Cup on Saturday.
That result leaves the Champions League as the Reds’ only route to silverware this season, as they continue their pursuit of a seventh continental triumph.
How the bookies view it: French giants firm favourites
The pre-match odds firmly point towards a PSG victory on Wednesday night, with a home win priced at 4/5 with William Hill. With Liverpool having lost three of their last four away matches across all competitions, PSG look well placed to secure a first-leg lead.
As for the visitors, they are as big as 10/3 on bet365, while the draw is trading at 31/10 with the same firm.
Head to head: History book balanced
There is nothing to split Liverpool and PSG in their head-to-head record, with both sides claiming three wins each from six previous meetings. Notably, the pair met in the round of 16 of last season’s Champions League, with Liverpool securing a 1-0 first-leg win at this venue before losing the return leg by the same scoreline and ultimately exiting on penalties.
Kvaratskhelia key for PSG
After netting three goals against Chelsea across two legs in the previous round, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is a tempting prospect to either score or assist on Wednesday night, priced at 5/6 with Paddy Power. The PSG ace bagged a brace in PSG’s home win over the Blues, and a repeat here pays 9/1 on Ladbrokes.
Predicted line-ups
PSG hope to have Bradley Barcola and Fabian Ruiz back from injury after they missed out against Toulouse on Friday night, while Quentin Ndjantou Mbitcha and Senny Mayulu are expected to be ruled out.
Liverpool, meanwhile, will be without Alisson, Conor Bradley, Giovanni LeonI, and Wataru Endo, however Alexander Isak is edging closer to a return following a lengthy layoff.
PSG: Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Neves; Kvaratskhelia, Dembele, Doue
Liverpool: Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Soboszlai, Wirtz; Ekitike
Anything else catch the eye?
Mohamed Salah may not have reached the heights of previous seasons, but he remains a potent attacking threat for Liverpool.
The Egyptian forward has averaged 1.72 on-target attempts per game across his nine appearances in this season's Champions League
With that in mind, the Liverpool star looks solid value for at least one shot on target at 11/10 with bet365.
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