The Liverpool manager Arne Slot was full of praise for the upcoming Champions League opponents of his team, Paris Saint-Germain, and admitted that he preferred Benfica in the 16th round. However, the Dutch boss named another club as “the best team in Europe”.
The reward of the Reds for the end with the best record in the first phase of the first division of the Champions League was a knockout difference against the reigning French top flight title holder. PSG was in a blasty form in this calendar year and won its last ten games and scored 40 goals at the same time.
“We would have preferred to play against Benfica instead of PSG,” admitted Slot before the two European giants are in Paris on Wednesday evening. “But this is also a great game and it is a great stadium to play. If you play for Liverpool, you want to play big games. We are facing a very strong opponent – they are too.
“We have to appear in every part of the game and give the best possible performance of the season. It is not easy to press PSG because they go on the entire field of man-for-man. PSG used to be as aggressive against Arsenal in the season as in the last ten to 15 games.
“We have to be the best possible version of ourselves. PSG is one of the best teams in Europe, with so much attacking threat and so much rotation. It will be an interesting game.”
Luis Enrique and his players hit a confident tone and at the same time praised Liverpool before the game this week. The PSG boss described the Reds in particular as “the best team in Europe”, but Slot had a different view.
“It is a nice compliment to get, but the best team in Europe has to win the Champions League and we are far from,” insisted Liverpools Manager. “I think the best team in Europe is still Real Madrid because you won this competition last season. We have to win it for us before you can say that.”