Winner and dominant in the first leg, PSG is in an ideal position to travel to Anfield and face Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-final second leg. Unless the weaknesses glimpsed in its defense throughout the season spoil the European epic.
Published on: 04/14/2026 - 07:20
PSG is in an armchair in the quarter-finals of the Champions League but be careful that it does not collapse on its defensive foundations.
Before the return match, the equation is simple: Paris will qualify if it does not concede a goal from Liverpool on Tuesday April 14 at Anfield stadium. But if coach Luis Enrique assured that PSG would go to Anfield maintaining its offensive mindset and to win, the team is also aiming for serenity in defense. She achieved a "clean sheet" in the first leg (2-0) which was mainly due to the impressive mastery, in all sectors, of the Parisian bulldozer.
But it's a safe bet that Liverpool, in its sometimes magical lair, will put more pressure than the three meager shots attempted at the Parc des Princes. Paris will undoubtedly have done the hardest part if it prevents the Reds from scoring in the first minutes and igniting a stadium that is just waiting for that.
The example will come mainly from his own performance at Liverpool last season (1-0 victory).
Strong in Ligue 1, weak in Europe
In Ligue 1 this season, PSG have only conceded 23 goals in 27 games and remain the best defense in the championship. On the other hand, during the league stage of the Champions League, he was not in the top 10 best defenses, with 11 goals conceded in eight matches.
Tuesday, Marquinhos and Willian Pacho, who form the central hinge, will necessarily be the most exposed. The Brazilian captain has blown hot and cold this season. Its relative solidity in the first part of the season was shattered at the start of 2026, during defeats against Sporting Portugal, Monaco and Rennes (3-1 in the league) and even the draw and victory against the same Monaco in the Champions League (3-2, 2-2).
His poor intervention on an indirect free kick from Newcastle during the draw in January (1-1), leading to the goal, is symptomatic of the difficulties in the air of the Parisian defense. And the example is all the more telling as Marquinhos risks being confronted with this type of situation against the Reds, fond like the best English teams of set pieces, long throw-ins and aerial balls.
At his side, Willian Pacho once again exudes tranquility and self-control. However, PSG will hope that he has put aside his inconsistencies from the middle of the season, when his tackles or his markings were less sharp. The first leg against Chelsea (5-2 victory) was sometimes worrying in this regard, but the Ecuadorian was imperial in the return to London (3-0), in Nice (4-0) and in the first leg against Liverpool.
The full-backs Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes will also have a lot to do at Anfield. Their talent with the ball and their ability to multiply runs naturally carry them forward, but they will have to watch their backs, if for example Mohamed Salah comes out of purgatory and wants to save his last season with the Reds. Nuno Mendes muzzled Salah well during last year's double confrontation, but he sometimes had lapses in concentration against Chelsea or Liverpool this year.
Hakimi, for his part, could have to hold Rio Ngumoha closely, if the 17-year-old winger confirms the great promises seen during the victory against Fulham (2-0) this weekend.
With AFP
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