Steve Nicol gives blunt verdict on whether Liverpool can overturn first-leg deficit v PSG

Steve Nicol gives blunt verdict on whether Liverpool can overturn first-leg deficit v PSG

Steve Nicol isn’t confident that Liverpool can pull off another famous European comeback when they host Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night.

Although PSG didn’t kill off the quarter-final tie in the first leg as Christophe Dugarry had predicted, they go to Anfield with a commanding 2-0 lead which could’ve been much larger were it not for some poor finishing on their part and some excellent saves by Giorgi Mamardashvili.

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The Reds have produced some legendary Lazarus acts at home in European ties in the past, most memorably the epic 4-0 triumph over Barcelona seven years ago, but the task of overturning the first-leg deficit against the reigning Champions League holders is a mammoth one.

Liverpool will at least go into Tuesday’s game off the back of a morale-boosting Premier League win over Fulham yesterday, but that result has done nothing to convince Nicol that Arne Slot’s team will topple PSG.

Nicol can’t envisage another famous Anfield comeback

When asked on ESPN FC if he can foresee a famous comeback from the Reds, the former Anfield defender replied: “No, you’ve got to be realistic. What reason are we going to beat PSG? Tell me why we’re going to beat PSG?

“I said this last week – if you look back at all those great Anfield nights, the common denominator amongst them all is that Liverpool actually had a really good team at the time.

“Think of the team that beat Barcelona, that was a great team. If you want to go back to the 70s, Saint-Etienne, David Fairclough scoring in the last minute, it was a great team.

“This is not a good team and that’s why, regardless of how loud and raucous and all the rest of it Anfield will be – because it will be at the start – when you don’t have the actual basics to take advantage of that and you’re playing against a team you want nothing to do with. Unfortunately, I can’t come up with any reason why Liverpool will go through.”

(Photo by Franco Arland/Getty Images)

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Liverpool must throw everything at PSG on Tuesday

Liverpool were good value for their win over Fulham on Saturday, but it’ll require a significantly better performance to overturn the two-goal deficit against PSG, who comprehensively outplayed the Reds in Paris last week and could have Bradley Barcola back for the game at Anfield.

What we can say with confidence is that Slot is highly unlikely to reprise the three-at-the-back formation that he implemented for the first leg, with his team needing to take an enterprising approach in pursuit of a result which would keep them in the Champions League.

Luis Enrique’s side will arrive on Merseyside with the benefit of six days’ rest after their Ligue 1 match against title rivals Lens – originally intended to be played yesterday – was postponed to maximise their time off ahead of their European assignment against Liverpool.

The Reds will need to pull out a level of performance we haven’t seen all season if they’re to eliminate PSG on Tuesday, but if we can net an early goal, Anfield will erupt into a cauldron of noise and a seed of doubt might just be planted in the visitors’ minds.

LFC won’t be expected to progress, but they must at least throw everything at trying to overturn the 2-0 deficit, instead of coming off the pitch at full-time with regrets that they could’ve done more. So long as the players put in 100% effort from first minute to last, the fans will show their appreciation.