Slot claims Liverpool ‘lucky’ to have just two-goal deficit after toothless display in Paris

Arne Slot admitted Liverpool were fortunate to leave Paris with only a two-goal deficit after a chastening Champions League quarter-final first leg defeat to PSG, but insisted the tie remains very much alive ahead of the second leg at Anfield.

The Reds were outplayed for long periods at the Parc des Princes and Slot was candid in his assessment of the performance.

“If you reflect on the whole game I think we are lucky with only losing two nil,” he told TNT Sports.

“The first goal felt hard. I think it was very good for us we are still in the tie, we can bring them to Anfield and we know how good Anfield can be for us.”

Giorgi Mamardashvili was Liverpool’s standout performer on the night, making a series of crucial saves to prevent the scoreline from becoming more damaging, and Slot pointed to the Georgian as a key reason the tie remains within reach.

Drawing inspiration from the previous evening’s action, he said: “I watched the game yesterday between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. You need performances like that, you need a hardworking team that do everything against a team like PSG. When we needed Alisson Becker he was there for us. He (Mamardashvili) played a good game today.”

When pressed on whether Liverpool created enough going forward, Slot was honest about the difficulties PSG posed. “Yes and no, yes because we want to create much more chances, no because there was not a lot to create for us.

“We tried many times to get them high, but they were able to play through us when we went man-to-man. I think that happened in the second half as well. There were a few times with players in promising positions.”

Van Dijk calls for Anfield to deliver

Captain Virgil van Dijk echoed his manager’s optimism, calling on the Anfield crowd to play a decisive role in turning the tie around. “We have to be absolutely spot on. Hopefully, our fans can play a big part in that. Our fans are the backbone of the club, and hopefully they can be there for us.”

Van Dijk also referenced last season’s European experience at this ground as a source of both warning and encouragement.

“Hopefully, very crucial. Last year we played a game here which we should have lost. Alisson’s best game of his career, but we couldn’t get the job done at Anfield.”

PSG will arrive at Anfield having had a week’s rest between legs, but van Dijk was dismissive of any suggestion Liverpool should be distracted by external factors. “We have to focus on ourselves and that is the only thing we are going to do.”