Anfield go hot tonight as Liverpool dey face Paris Saint-Germain for Champions League quarter-final second leg. The Reds dey carry 2-0 deficit from first leg wey dem play for Paris last week, but manager Arne Slot dey talk say dem still believe say something special fit happen.
Slot yarn for press conference on Monday afternoon say the task no be impossible. “First of all, I go remind them wetin be the score. Na 2-0. E feel different, but na 2-0 we lose,” Slot talk. “Second of all, we don show for many big games this season say we fit perform well.”
The Dutch coach point to Liverpool home record as reason for hope. “For those wey don dey with me for one-and-a-half years, for the 49 home games we play, 46 times we score two goals or more,” Slot explain. “Yes, we no play all those games against PSG. But Premier League and Champions League opponents we face here na strong teams too.”
Slot admit say Liverpool go need to take risks for this game. “People go hard to believe wetin I wan talk now, but our approach no too different from wetin we do for Paris,” Slot yarn. “For people wey know me, I never send team go low block for 90 minutes.”
The manager talk say dem go press PSG high despite the danger. “If you watch the game back, you go see say we press dem high for multiple occasions. Unfortunately, seven or eight of those moments make dem get one-on-one with our goalkeeper,” Slot explain. “Tomorrow approach go be to take risk, because na wetin we need. To get ball from dem, you need press dem, and we see how hard e dey press these players.”
Slot talk say Liverpool must change one key stat from first leg. “Last time we face each other, dem get ball for 76 percent of the time. That na the first thing we must change tomorrow, to get ball more,” Slot talk. “If we get am more, then e go sweet to have attacking threat for pitch and na that we go get tomorrow.”
Midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai join the talk of belief. “I believe completely because I know wetin we fit do, wetin kind players we get, and wetin kind mentality we get,” the Hungarian talk. “We don show am many times, but maybe not every time, and na that we need again from start.”
Szoboszlai address small misunderstanding with fans after 4-0 FA Cup loss to Manchester City. “Maybe na misunderstanding between me and the fans,” Szoboszlai talk. “I no mean am for bad way. I know wetin fans mean to this club. If na misunderstanding, I dey apologise.”
The midfielder talk say Liverpool players dey ready to give everything. “My message to them na say we go go all in. We go give our best from minute one to minute 90 or maybe for 120, 125 minutes if e need,” Szoboszlai yarn. “I fit talk for all the players – we want am so bad and for one game anything fit happen for Anfield.”
Captain Virgil van Dijk write for matchday programme say Liverpool must embrace the challenge. “The circumstances fit dey small different, but this na familiar place we find ourselves,” Van Dijk write. “Anfield, big UEFA Champions League night, top opponent and chance, together, to do something really special as club.”
The defender talk say atmosphere go key. “I talk after first leg for Paris say we go need something special if we wan progress to semi-finals, and that apply first to our performance, but also to atmosphere and support wey una go provide,” Van Dijk explain. “Both need dey absolutely spot on if we wan get chance.”
Van Dijk remember past Anfield comebacks. “I think of Manchester City, Roma, Barcelona of course, even Real Madrid both this season and last, and I fit assure una say everyone for this dressing room believe say we fit do something again this evening,” the captain talk.
Slot talk say 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha fit play role for the game after scoring first Anfield goal against Fulham for weekend. “Yeah I think he fit cope – first of all because of personality, he no dey get distracted,” Slot talk about the teenager. “Everyone wey know his history, expectation dey around him for years and he always dey able focus on football.”
The manager add say Ngumoha quality dey there. “Secondly, his quality. He don show say he fit take one-on-ones and make am difficult for defenders wey he dey face,” Slot yarn.
PSG get advantage of extra rest after dem postpone their Ligue One game against Lens for weekend. Szoboszlai admit say e dey difference. “Of course e dey difference when dem fit rest between the two games. E give dem two days extra for recovery, analysing the game, getting ready for game,” the midfielder talk. “We have to deal with am and we professional enough to deal with am. That na our job to do.”
Slot talk say belief dey there despite first leg performance wey Liverpool no manage single shot on target. “You want one example, two, 10 or 200? After first half for Etihad for 4-0 FA Cup defeat against Manchester City, you expect City to be three goals up after 20 minutes of second half?” Slot ask. “Against Galatasaray, we fit score eight or nine for home, so amount of times we don show say we fit dey much better than we were for PSG, that dey clear.”
The manager talk say goal fit change everything. “Goal fit change momentum, wey happen for negative way for Etihad and for positive way on Saturday against Fulham for Anfield,” Slot explain.
Van Dijk talk say performance for Paris no good enough. “Yes, performance for Paris no good enough, and we must improve for every area if we wan get chance,” the captain write. “Anfield, though, na different, and hopefully we fit show that tonight.”
The defender stress say everything go start with mentality. “E start with us, with our belief and our mentality. With every challenge, every tackle, every header, every run, every attack, we have to show intent and commitment and desire,” Van Dijk yarn. “PSG na very good team and we have to dey ready to do hard yards for 90+ minutes – and more if e necessary.”
Slot call on Anfield crowd to help inspire the team like dem do when Liverpool come from behind knock Galatasaray out for previous round. “Dem go be just as important as our performance,” Slot talk about the fans. “I think we have to dey much much better than last week, and their players experienced and don experience Anfield a year ago when dem go through on penalties. Dem know wetin dey come up so I fit only hope say our fans find extra gear compared to last year when atmosphere dey unbelievable.”
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