Liverpool have a big week ahead as they look to win their first trophy of the season next weekend.
The Reds face Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley on Sunday, hoping to defend their final piece of silverware won under Jurgen Klopp.
Before all that, though, Liverpool have the small matter of a Champions League last-16 second-leg against PSG at Anfield.
The Reds were disappointing during the first-leg in Paris on Wednesday, but Harvey Elliott’s late goal meant they somehow came away with a 1-0 win.
Given how poorly Liverpool played at the Parc des Princes, PSG players sound to be confident of getting a result on Merseyside.
But as they continue to publicly talk up their prospects of going through against the Reds, they should take warning from Barcelona’s famous capitulation at Anfield in 2019. There are signs they are falling into the same trap.
PSG over-confident ahead of Liverpool trip
There’s no denying that PSG were the better side during Wednesday’s first-leg and were unlucky to lose. But lose they did. Liverpool played terribly and still came away with a win.
Nevertheless, the Ligue 1 champions have declared themselves to be incredibly confident despite the blow of Elliott’s late goal.
Desire Doue has predicted a ‘special’ evening at Anfield in which PSG will go through, while Luis Enrique has been bullish following his team’s 4-1 win over Rennes on Saturday.
“We absolutely have to win!” the Spanish manager told Telefoot. “The goal, the only one, is victory.”
Speaking immediately after the game last Wednesday, a clearly frustrated Vitinha predicted PSG to win at Anfield and qualify for the final eight of the competition.
High profile publication L’Equipe then ran a story which suggested PSG players have been ‘surprised’ at the low level of Liverpool and were even more confident than before the tie began that they will progress.
All the while, the French champions appear to be forgetting that clubs have turned up at Anfield similarly confident in the recent past only to leave with their tail firmly between their legs.
Barcelona taught famous Anfield lesson
The two ties are of course very different, but PSG could learn a lot from what happened to Barcelona back in 2019. Barca rocked up with a 3-0 first-leg lead and so, you could argue, were right to be confident.
But a famous tweet from an official Barcelona social media account solidified just how over-confident the Blaugrana were heading into the second leg.
“We score, Liverpool need FIVE – and we’re going to get at least one… agreed?” they wrote, amazingly, with Liverpool already 1-0 up.
Former Liverpool players Philippe Coutinho and Luis Suarez took smiling pictures back at Anfield before the game, seemingly certain that their progression to the final would be a formality. Reader, it was not.
Plenty of others have fallen into the trap of believing the Anfield factor is simply a footballing old wives tale.
Liverpool fans should by now be well aware that PSG as a club think they are facing an inferior team. As a result, the old stadium is set to be a bear pit on Tuesday. If they can get through that, then fair enough, but in the build-up to the game, PSG players and coach may well have been digging their own grave.