Liverpool travel to Paris for the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie on Wednesday to face a Paris Saint-Germain team in top form
Luis Enrique’s men currently sit top of Ligue 1 with a 13-point lead after 24 games and have looked unstoppable since the turn of the year
The French giants impressed again at the weekend with a convincing 4-1 win over Lille and Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has the feeling that PSG could upset Liverpool at the Parc des Prince on Wednesday.
This is a view many will share as Liverpool don’t have a great record against PSG, which adds to the confidence of Ligue 1 leaders.
Liverpool are also in top form, which sets up a very intriguing game in Paris, therefore, this is how RTK believes the Reds could line up in the French capital
Having kept back-to-back clean sheets in Liverpool’s last two games, Arne Slot is very unlikely to move away from Alisson in his goal.
When it comes to injuries, the Reds’ only issues come in their backline, with Joe Gomez out of action for Liverpool long-term, while Conor Bradley will not be available for selection.
As a result, Slot is expected to go with his strongest back four in Paris, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson in the full-back positions. The Scottish star comes back in after being rested against Newcastle, which should aid him in the Merseyside club’s upcoming games
At centre-back, no changes are expected as Liverpool are expected to field their strongest pairing in Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, who will be tasked with trying to keep PSG’s stunning attacking trio quiet.
Midfield
Although it is easy to think Liverpool will go with their best team in the usual 4-2-3-1 formation, the PSG clash on Wednesday may see Slot return to the 4-2-4 tactics that caught Man City out at the Etihad last month.
This would allow the Reds to be more compact, as seen against Pep Guardiola’s team, which could be a wise move to keep PSG quiet and bring a strong result back to Anfield
Therefore, the Merseyside club are likely to opt for a midfield duo of Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch as the pair have been very reliable this season.
This tactic would then see Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones playing in a front four, but moving back to defend in a 4-4-2 shape.
Attack
Cody Gakpo has had injury issues in recent weeks, but the Dutch star is back to full fitness and will be in contention to start against PSG in Paris.
However, given the recent form of Luis Diaz, Slot is expected to go with the Colombian again after the Liverpool winger closed in on a Premier League record last time out against Newcastle.
Partnering him will be Mohamed Salah as the Egyptian star is in the form of his life and would walk into any team at present.
Liverpool’s predicted starting XI vs PSG