As in 2025, PSG crosses paths with Liverpool in the Champions League, Wednesday at 9 p.m., at the Parc des Princes. This time, the Parisians face the Reds in the quarter-finals and hope to confirm the confidence they found against Chelsea in the previous round. For this, they will be able to count on the spring return to form of Ousmane Dembélé. The Parisians will also cross paths with one of their former teammates who is now shining far from Paris, Hugo Ekitiké.

Published on: 04/08/2026 - 12:11

A remake of last year with the hope of a more serene scenario. PSG faces Liverpool for the quarter-final first leg of the Champions League, Wednesday April 8 at 9 p.m., at the Parc des Princes.

The European champion enters the home stretch of the season with newfound confidence, after the turbulence of mid-season. A new victory against Toulouse on Friday (3-1), after the spectacular performance against Chelsea in the round of 16 (5-2, 3-0) and the domination of Nice at home (4-0), launched PSG at full speed towards their reconquests. The team has regained the edge in passing, shooting and pressing that made it successful last season.

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The context of the reunion with Liverpool is therefore rather enthusiastic on the Parisian side. Last season, the round of 16 against the Reds was of an unprecedented level of intensity, between two of the most prominent teams in Europe. Paris had lost the first round (1-0) at the Parc des Princes, but its domination in the game gave it a glimpse of qualification, which it finally obtained on penalties after a success at Anfield (1-0, tab 4-1).

“It was a very, very high level performance, it’s incredible that we lost this (first leg) match at the Parc. I would sign for a match of this level but not for the result,” said coach Luis Enrique on Tuesday.

Dembélé “showed why he is the Ballon d’Or”

The Parisians then did not have the extra confidence that a European champion title provides. This time, they are the favorites of the double confrontation, even if they had a good time denying it. “I don't think we are favourites, last year everyone said it was Liverpool and we qualified,” said Luis Enrique.

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PSG will in any case be able to count on the return to form of Ousmane Dembélé against the Reds. Hampered by multiple physical glitches this season, the Parisian striker is back at his spring 2025 level at the best of times. Against Chelsea, “Dembouz” scored and was sharp. The wait was long and the doubts persisted, as No. 10 was irregular, but this time the last concerns seem to be behind him.

“I know my body more, compared to other seasons, so I took it very calmly. I also spoke with the coach and the staff, they told me to stay calm, it was not a very long injury, I feel good today and I am full of confidence,” he said in mid-March. Adding: “The PSG game is very demanding, you know my game, I have to press, I have to break, I had to be 100%”.

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Against Toulouse on Friday in Ligue 1, "he played 90 minutes, it's important for his physical level, it's great to see a player as different as him develop," explained coach Luis Enrique. Better yet, Dembélé sublimated the encounter with an inspiration of which he alone has the secret: a volley while relaxing at the entrance to the surface.

“He showed why he is the Ballon d’Or,” insisted Luis Enrique on Friday, who always defended his attacking leader despite less impressive statistics than last season – 14 goals, 8 assists in all competitions in 30 matches compared to 35 goals and 16 assists in 53 matches in 2024-2025.

A clearing called Ekitiké on the banks of the Mersey

Opposite, Liverpool are coming out of a crushing defeat which suddenly called into question the revival of form observed in recent weeks. Arne Slot's team, coach now on the gridiron, was knocked out by Manchester City (4-0) on Saturday in the FA Cup, bringing its number of defeats this season to fifteen, the club's worst total over the past decade.

The poster at the Etihad stadium offered a summary of the Liverpool version 2025-2026: first technically brilliant, in line with the attacking duo Ekitiké-Wirtz, then lacking success and confidence, then amorphous and overwhelmed in defense. "We showed, for only 35 minutes, that we can compete," said Arne Slot, "but if we defend like we did in the next 20 minutes, we will have a big problem."

“Liverpool will always be Liverpool. Even if they are not in their best form – and we will try to take advantage of it – they are still a team with great players who can do better on a Champions League night,” warned Parisian midfielder Vitinha.

To hope to shine at the Parc des Princes, the Reds will be able to count on... former Parisian Hugo Ekitiké. The Rémois native burned his wings during his brief stint (2022-2023) in the galactic PSG version Mbappé-Neymar-Messi, before relaunching at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga. The slender striker (1.90m) regained all his momentum in Germany, before Liverpool paid 95 million euros to recruit him last summer.

At Anfield, Ekitiké quickly became one of the attractions of the team at the heart of a collectively very disappointing season for the reigning English champions. He even managed to forget the very long absence of star recruit, Alexander Isak, by piling up 17 goals in 43 appearances, in all competitions. And even if the Reds are not currently in optimal form, Mohamed Salah and his partners nevertheless proved in the previous round – against Galatasaray (4-0 victory in the return match) – that they were capable of sublimating themselves for the duration of a match. Paris has been warned.

With AFP

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