Arne Slot says Liverpool have no chance against Paris St‑Germain unless they play the full 90 minutes. He warned that if they repeat the 20‑minute lapse they showed against Manchester City, they’ll concede four goals again. Slot made the remarks at a press conference in Paris on Tuesday.
After Liverpool’s 4‑0 FA Cup loss to Manchester City, captain Virgil van Dijk said the team may have given up at a certain point. Slot replied that he didn’t see players giving up, but he thinks it’s good from a captain to have a strong reaction. He added, “This year we have been quite experienced in terms of negativity. This was a big one because it was a [FA Cup] quarter‑final. It was a big loss against our rivals.”
Slot said it’s a challenge to stay at the level of the first 35 minutes from start to finish, quoting, “So it is a challenge for us to be from the first to the last second at the level we were at in the first 35 minutes [against City].” He also noted, “I can tell you if we have the 20 minutes we had at City tomorrow evening here, we will again concede four goals.” Liverpool’s record signing Alexander Isak, back from ankle surgery, is available and Slot said, “He can play a part; otherwise, I wouldn’t have brought him.” Florian Wirtz added, “Yes, of course, we believe in the manager.”
Slot pointed to Liverpool’s tradition of bouncing back, saying, “The answer is already in the history of Liverpool.” He added, “This group has shown many times that they have come back after setbacks, and this club has shown it many, many times over the years.” While PSG have beaten several Premier League sides this season, Slot believes his team can still compete with Europe’s best.
