Ryan Gravenberch is crucial to how Liverpool play, the central midfielder is key in pushing the ball through the thirds and acting as a connector between the backline and the dangerous attacking quartet. His role naturally sees him win a lot of fouls with Gravenberch very clever when receiving and turning with the ball, movement which opens up space for Liverpool to attack quickly. Gravenberch has won five fouls across his eight Champions League appearances this season (0.68 per 90) and has won 38 fouls across his 29 Premier League appearances this season (1.38 per 90). His promising numbers over a larger sample size suggest that Gravenberch is quite consistent when it comes to winning fouls. The midfield battle will be key here, there is a real clash of styles with Liverpool boasting the physical advantage in the middle of the park but PSG’s midfield are definitely more technically sound. Gravenberch was fouled once in the initial meeting between the sides in which PSG only committed three fouls. We can expect these numbers to rise as PSG are now the away side and may have to commit more tactical fouls to stop Liverpool counter attacking as they chase the tie.

Vitinha has won 11 fouls across his 11 Champions League appearances this season (1.13 per 90). The central midfielder is crucial to how PSG play and sits at the heart of the midfield, it’s clear that Luis Enrique trusts him to control the game and he certainly did that in the first leg. Vitinha made 109 passes in the first leg, more than any other player on the pitch, showcasing his ability to control games. This style of play naturally draws fouls, especially against a side like Liverpool who are so aggressive in pressing the opposition in their own half. This is best evidenced by the fact that 58 of the 94 fouls Liverpool have committed in the Champions League this season have come in the opposition half, meaning that over 60% of their infringements in the Champions League this season have come in the opposition’s half. Vitinha will be up against Dominik Szoboszlai who committed one foul in the first leg and is averaging 1.61 fouls committed per 90 in the Premier League. Vitinha was fouled once in the first leg, unsurprisingly in his own half as a result of the Liverpool press.

Liverpool have collected 18 yellow cards across their nine Champions League games this season (2.0 per game). Arne Slot’s side do not shy away from the unpleasant side of the game with the Reds also averaging 10.3 fouls committed per game in the Champions League this season. They came in under these averages in the first leg meeting between these sides, committing seven fouls and picking up one caution. However, we can expect these numbers to rise in the second leg which should be less attack against defence considering the fact that Liverpool are at Anfield where they’ve been so dominant this season in winning all four of their Champions League games and only conceding one goal in the process. Liverpool have been shown 2+ cards in six of their nine Champions League games this season which suggests that the expected Premier League champions can catch the eye of the referee who is Istvan Kovacs for this game, he’s averaging 4.78 yellow cards per game across his nine appointments this season.

PSG’s attacking pedigree is undeniable, Luis Enrique has assembled a balanced and young PSG side which is unlike the egocentric sides of past campaigns but despite their improvement temperament and togetherness, this may still prove a step too far in Europe against a Liverpool side that look unbeatable at the moment. Part of that superiority over other sides in Europe is down to Alisson, arguably the best keeper in the world at the moment. He showcased his ability with nine saves in the first leg, PSG may have looked totally dominant in the game but their flurry of efforts only returned an xG of 1.78 which indicates that Liverpool were effective in controlling the number of truly dangerous chances afforded to the PSG frontline but also that the Parisians can be eccentric with their efforts and maybe could benefit from working the ball into more clear cut goalscoring opportunities - this is best illustrated by the fact that 16 of their attempts in the first leg were from outside the box. This tendency to let fly may cost PSG in terms of progressing through to the next round but aids our selection here. PSG will get chances in the game purely due to the quality they possess in forward areas but Alisson has already shown he can match their attacking quality with goalkeeping brilliance. Alisson has been forced into making 3+ saves in four of his nine Champions League appearances this season whilst PSG have drawn 3+ saves from the opposition keeper in eight of their 11 Champions League assignments.

This selection landed in the first leg thanks to Super Sub with Harvey Elliot coming off the bench to fire in the winner in a nod to Liverpool’s impressive depth which always keeps them in games with the options they can call from the bench. Salah’s blank against PSG brought to an end a nine game run with either a goal or an assist for the 32 year old, he didn’t take too long to get back to it with a brace against Southampton in preparation for this second leg tie. Salah has registered seven goal contributions across his eight appearances in the Champions League this season (3 goals, 4 assists). Liverpool only had two shots in the first game which is a total we can expect to rise substantially here given the extra spaces that will appear as PSG push for an equaliser to get back in the tie. Liverpool and Salah in particular thrive in these situations, the Reds will have greater licence to get forward in front of the Anfield crowd which should give Salah more opportunities to register a goal contribution here.

Hakimi is a very forward thinking fullback as demonstrated by the fact that he created more chances than any other player in the first leg (4). He’s recorded six goal contributions across his 11 appearances in the Champions League, further underlining this attacking nature but he can be caught out in these situations when PSG are left light at the back to the Liverpool counter attack. Hakimi has committed 11 fouls in the Champions League this season (1.02 per 90) and has been shown one yellow card, he’s collected four cards across his 20 appearances in Ligue 1 this season which is more reflective of his occasionally combative nature. He’ll be up against Luis Diaz who will be a big threat for Liverpool when they time those transitions correctly. Diaz has won eight fouls across his eight Champions League appearances this season (1.35 per 90) so he should pose a challenge for the PSG fullback.

PSG racked up 14 corners in the first leg meeting between the sides, Luis Enrique’s side were effective in sustaining attacking pressure in Liverpool’s half with the Reds not having many opportunities to relieve this pressure with PSG being excellent in employing a counter press which kept Liverpool penned in. They are unlikely to have that many corners again here but their record across the Champions League as a whole is quite promising. PSG have won 78 corners across their 11 games in the Champions League this season (7.09 per game). Liverpool have been pretty dominant in the Champions League this season but not without withstanding serious pressure from the opposition. They’ve conceded 5+ corners in five of their nine assignments in the Champions League this season.

Liverpool look unstoppable at the moment, Arne Slot’s side have won each of their last four games which includes the first leg at the Parc Des Princes as well as big domestic wins against Manchester City and Newcastle. Their record at home in the Champions League this campaign is just as impressive with four wins from four games, scoring 10 goals and conceding just one. They showcased this defensive resilience in the first leg in withstanding a barrage of PSG shots which saw Alisson make nine saves in a man of the match performance. PSG definitely have a stronger sense of togetherness compared to recent seasons but the draw has been slightly unkind to them in matching them up against Arne Slot’s efficient Reds who should be able to navigate their way through to the quarter finals of the Champions League.