Key events
There’s no Cody Gakpo for Liverpool. He’s picked up an injury in training. The only change to the team that started last week’s 2-0 victory over Newcastle United is at left-back, where Andrew Robertson returns at the expense of Kostas Tsimikas, who drops to the bench.
The hosts PSG make three changes to the starting XI after last Saturday’s 4-1 Ligue 1 thumping of Lille. Vitinha, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Willian Pacho return, with Gonçalo Ramos, Désiré Doué and Lucas Beraldo dropping to the bench.
The teams
PSG: Donnarumma, Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes, Neves, Vitinha, Fabian, Kvaratskhelia, Dembele, Barcola.
Subs: Safonov, Tenas, Kimpembe, Goncalo Ramos, Doue, Lee, Hernandez, Mayulu, Zaire Emery, Lucas Beraldo, Mbaye.
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz, Jota.
Subs: Jaros, Kelleher, Endo, Nunez, Chiesa, Jones, Elliott, Tsimikas, McConnell, Quansah, Nyoni.
Referee: Davide Massa (Italy).
Preamble
So much for coming top of the league stage, then. Liverpool’s reward is a tie with Paris Saint-Germain, who have won their last ten games straight, scoring at a rate of exactly four goals per game. In the last month, the champions of France have put four goals past fellow Champions League outfits Monaco and Lille, and seven past Champions League surprise package Brest. Ousmane Dembélé is finally delivering on all that early promise – he’s scored 20 goals in his last 14 appearances – while Bradley Barcola isn’t that backwards in coming forwards either, with 15 goals to his name this season. After all those wasted galáctico years, they’re finally looking like a proper team. Just ask Manchester City.
Having said all that, Liverpool, with 30-goal Mohamed Salah in outrageous form himself, are pretty handy too. So given all that, plus the fact these clubs are historically neck and neck with two wins apiece – all four matches ending in home wins, PSG pipping the 1997 Cup Winners Cup semi, Liverpool going on to lift the 2019 Champions League after meeting the Parisians at the group stage – this is deliciously balanced. And extremely unlikely to end goalless. All together now: ♯♬ ♪ I love Paris in the springtime … why oh why do I love Paris? Because kick-off is near! ♬♩♬ That’s 8pm GMT to be exact. It’s on!
