Liverpool have a rare weekend off as they reap the positive element of losing to Plymouth in the FA Cup.
The Reds should really have beaten the Championship relegation candidates when they headed to Devon in January.
That they didn’t will likely still be a source of frustration for Arne Slot. However, it does mean that Liverpool will be well rested ahead of Wednesday’s clash with Paris Saint Germain.
The Reds could hardly have asked for a tougher fixture in the last-16 of this year’s Champions League.
PSG are currently sitting pretty at the top of Ligue 1, 13 points clear of second-placed Marseille and are yet to taste defeat in the league season.
Before hosting Liverpool in midweek, the French champions play Lille at the Parc des Princes on Saturday evening. And as he prepares for a big week, manager Luis Enrique has made a comparison between his two upcoming opponents.
Luis Enrique compares Liverpool with Lille
Lille are one of a clutch of teams just below PSG in the Ligue 1 table. Like the others, they have no chance of winning the title, but are only five points below Marseille.
They are a good side under Bruno Genesio, as Liverpool found out during the Champions League game at Anfield in January.
Although the Reds ran out 2-1 winners, Lille were impressive on the night and caused them a few problems.
And according to Enrique, Genesio’s team are the perfect ‘dress rehearsal’ for Liverpool on Wednesday, Speaking during a press conference on Friday, the Spanish coach compared the two teams.
“I think that there are similarities between Lille and Liverpool, particularly from a defensive point of view,” he said. “There’s no better dress rehearsal for facing Liverpool than this game against Lille. I think that it’s a great opportunity.
“Tomorrow will be a big game for us against one of our rivals. They’re a very good team, and that’s a big source of motivation for us. We’ll be playing at home, which is a very good thing for us because we’re stronger with our fans.”
Liverpool must take advantage of rest
It should hopefully help Liverpool that PSG have a tricky game coming into the midweek clash. If Lille can work them hard, it could play into the Reds’ hands.
| Opponent | Scoreline | Competition |
| Stuttgart | 4-1 | Champions League |
| Brest | 5-2 | Ligue 1 |
| Le Mans | 2-0 | Coupe de France |
| Monaco | 4-1 | Ligue 1 |
| Brest | 3-0 | Champions League |
| Toulouse | 1-0 | Ligue 1 |
| Brest | 7-0 | Champions League |
| Lyon | 3-2 | Ligue 1 |
| Stade Briochin | 7-0 | Coupe de France |
However, it has often been the way with Liverpool that they look worse after a longer period without a fixture.
With games coming so quickly, the Reds can get into a proper rhythm, especially when they are winning more often than not. When that is taken away, it can sometimes take them a while to get back going.
On the flipside, PSG are very much in their groove right now having won their last nine matches by an aggregate score of 26-6.
They’ll quite possibly be Liverpool’s biggest test of the season so far. The extra days off could be crucial for the Reds but they need to make it count.