Slot: Liverpool must adapt to PSG’s man-to-man press to win

Liverpool boss Arne Slot believes the team has to perform at its best to beat in-form Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday. The Dutchman highlighted PSG’s style of play under Luis Enrique as a problem for Liverpool to consistently dominate ball possession.

Liverpool’s boss highlighted Les Parisiens’ preference for using man-v-man marking in a high-pressing system to force errors from their opponents. PSG have an incredible attacking threat with pace and fluidity between the three attackers, always creating goal-scoring threats for them.

Ousmane Dembele has enjoyed a prolific season alongside Bradley Barcola and Goncalo Ramos, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as their new addition. Furthermore, PSG’s summer signing, Joao Neves, has provided a strong balance alongside Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha in their impressive midfield.

Speaking in the pre-match press conference, Slot highlighted the threat of the strong Paris side, potentially forcing Liverpool to adapt. He said:

“I think we have to show in every part of our game the best possible performance from this season. It’s not easy to dominate ball possession against Paris Saint-Germain because they take a lot of risk when they press, so they go man-v-man all over the pitch and that makes it hard for many teams to have a lot of ball possession against them. So, we have to adapt really well to what is in front of us. So, I have seen also a few games – mainly in the beginning of the season, for example against Arsenal, where they were not as aggressive as they were in the last 10 or 15 games that they have played when it comes to pressing.”

Meanwhile, Liverpool have displayed their early season form in the last two games after struggling with inconsistencies since 2025’s start. The Reds defeated Manchester City 0-2 in the Premier League away clash at Etihad by showcasing strong defensive organisation.

Liverpool controlled the spaces as Man City failed to threaten the visitors despite dominating in possession.  Against Newcastle United, Liverpool once again secured a 2-0 victory at Anfield in a more physically gruelling game.

While both the Magpies and the Reds shared almost equal possession, the hosts displayed more incisiveness while nullifying the visitors. It is anyone’s guess what kind of tactics will Slot use against PSG on Wednesday.

However, Liverpool fans are confident that they will not face the problems that cost them the Europa League last season. Last season, Atalanta outsmarted Liverpool with tactics which are similar to what PSG have employed this season.

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Atalanta’s man-v-man marking forced the Reds to make several errors, eventually costing them the tie. Slot has used several tactics this season, and the players have reciprocated their boss’s demands by implementing those tactics perfectly.