Soccer at its best possible. That was Arne Slot’s reminiscence of Liverpool’s richly entertaining meeting with Paris Saint-Germain within the Champions League final season.
OK, Liverpool finally went out, crushed at Anfield in a round-of-16 penalty shootout by the staff that may go on to win the competitors for the primary time, however Slot beloved the best way his facet performed and nonetheless maintains it was “the perfect sport I’ve managed in my profession.”
They meet once more virtually 12 months on, with Liverpool — and Slot — in a really totally different place.
The Dutch coach seems to be fighting for his job heading into the quarterfinal doubleheader with the European champion that begins with the primary leg in Paris on Wednesday.
A 4-0 loss at Manchester Metropolis within the FA Cup on Saturday was Liverpool’s newest poor results of a season that originally started with a lot hope after the membership’s file summer season splurge of $570 million on new gamers on the again of cruising to the Premier League title.
With the Reds having lengthy given up hope of retaining their league title, the Champions League is their solely remaining probability of a trophy.
On present kind, that appears unlikely.
PSG in nice kind
Whereas Liverpool has misplaced 4 of its final seven video games in all competitions in a run of outcomes that has piled the strain on Slot, PSG is on a four-match profitable run that incorporates back-to-back victories over Chelsea within the Champions League spherical of 16 (5-2 and 3-0).
Just one staff has retained the Champions League for the reason that flip of the century — Actual Madrid gained it for 3 straight years from 2016 — however PSG seems in fine condition to take action.
Slot and Liverpool would possibly simply be completely happy to get out of the Parc des Princes with a combating probability of advancing going into the second leg at Anfield.
Madrid vs Bayern
There are three different quarterfinals: Actual Madrid vs. Bayern Munich, Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid, and Sporting Lisbon vs. Arsenal.
It is one of many extra unlikely Champions League details: Madrid and Munich — winners of the title a mixed 21 instances — nonetheless have not met within the last. They will not this season, both.
Bayern Munich’s Serge Gnabry, Harry Kane, Tom Bischof and Raphael Guerreiro
| Picture Credit score:
AP
The 2 heavyweights are, nevertheless, assembly within the knockout stage for the sixth time up to now 14 seasons — and it has been a one-sided rivalry.
Madrid, the file 15-time champion, has gained 4 of 5 two-leg matchups with Bayern for the reason that 2011-12 season; as soon as within the quarterfinals and thrice within the semifinals, most not too long ago in 2024. Bayern gained within the 2012 semifinals after a penalty shootout.
Bayern would possibly by no means have a greater probability to finish that depressing run, given the German champions are unbeaten in 13 video games in all competitions. Star striker Harry Kane is offered regardless of lacking Saturday’s win over Freiburg within the Bundesliga with a minor ankle challenge sustained in England coaching final week.
Madrid is coming off a cushty round-of-16 win over Man Metropolis however, extra not too long ago, a 2-1 loss at Mallorca on Saturday that damage its Spanish league title hopes.
Barcelona vs Atletico
The gamers of Spanish rivals Barcelona and Atletico could be sick of the sight of one another by subsequent week’s second leg.
That is as a result of their Champions League doubleheader will full a barrage of 5 conferences between the groups in two months, culminating in three matches in 10 days.
On Saturday, Barcelona got here from behind to beat Atletico 2-1 on the highway to strengthen its maintain on the La Liga lead. In February, they met within the Copa Del Rey with every profitable large at residence and Atletico advancing on mixture.
They’ve met twice within the Champions League knockout phases and each instances on the quarterfinal stage, with Atletico going via in 2014 and 2016 on its run to the ultimate every season. Atletico performed the second leg at residence on these events, too.
The primary leg of their present head-to-head is on Wednesday.
Arsenal vs Sporting
Recent from guiding Sweden into the World Cup, Arsenal striker Viktor Gyökeres makes a primary return to the membership that turned him right into a globally famend striker.
Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres celebrates with Max Dowman and Bukayo Saka after scoring a purpose
| Picture Credit score:
Motion Photographs by way of Reuters
“The entire group was completely happy for him” after his switch, Sporting defender Maximiliano Araújo stated on Monday. “He did some superb issues (for Sporting). This 12 months at Arsenal I believe he’s additionally doing very nicely, he’s scoring lots of targets, and he additionally secured qualification for the World Cup together with his nationwide staff. I want him all the perfect.”
At Sporting, Gyökeres scored 97 targets in 102 video games, together with 54 final season when he outscored the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah. Fairly the rise, then, for somebody who beforehand had barely performed a top-tier league sport.
Since becoming a member of Arsenal for $85 million, targets haven’t been really easy to return by — he has 16 in 42 matches in all competitions — however stays first alternative below coach Mikel Arteta, who values his line-leading qualities.
And, after his current heroics for Sweden when he grabbed a hat trick towards Ukraine after which the essential late purpose towards Poland within the winner-takes-all playoff, Gyökeres must be filled with confidence on his return to Lisbon for Tuesday’s match.
Sporting will look to make residence benefit depend prefer it did within the spherical of 16, finishing a turnaround towards Bodø/Glimt by profitable the second leg 5-0 for one of many nice Champions League fightbacks.
Revealed – April 07, 2026 12:53 pm IST
