Liverpool finished at the top of the pile in the league phase and may have hoped for a kinder draw in the last-16, having been paired with French heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain.
This tie pits two of Europe’s form sides against each other and both have the freedom to go all out in this competition, with Liverpool 13 points ahead of their closest rivals in the Premier League and PSG the same margin clear of the chasing pack in Ligue 1.
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PSG vs Liverpool betting tips
- PSG to win @ 13/10
- Mohamed Salah to score and PSG to win @ 8/1
- BTTS Yes, Luis Diaz 2+ Shots on Target, Bradley Barcola 2+ Shots on Target @ 13/1 (was 21/2)
PSG can use home advantage to strike first
Liverpool have been excellent in Europe this season as they won their first seven games in the league phase before their defeat to PSV in the last batch of fixtures when the result of that game counted for very little from their perspective.
The Reds may edge the tie, but they may well find themselves having to recover a deficit when these sides reconvene at Anfield, as PSG come into this game in fantastic form.
The Ligue 1 giants have won their last 10 games in a row across all competitions and their home form has been exceptional all season. PSG have won 15 of their 19 home games across all competitions and have lost just once to Atletico Madrid in this tournament.
Luis Enrique’s men were unfortunate not to get anything out of that game with Atleti and they managed a win over Premier League opposition at the Parc des Princes, beating Manchester City 4-2 during the League Phase.
Liverpool’s away form has been patchy since the turn of the year and they’ve won just three wins of their last nine trips across all competitions, drawing three and losing three, so PSG can seize the advantage by winning the first leg.
Superb Salah can strike for Reds
The current campaign may prove to be Mohamed Salah’s last at Anfield, and if that is the case, the mercurial Egyptian is going out with a bang.
Salah is on course for his most productive Premier League season ever with 25 goals in 28 games, seven strikes shy of his highest tally, and he’s already set a new personal record in assists with 17. In the Champions League, Salah has three goals and four assists in seven games and he’s scored in eight of his last nine appearances across all competitions.
An anytime Salah effort has real appeal at 37/40 as a single bet, but as I’m backing PSG to win it is worth highlighting the Liverpool talisman to score and a home win at 8/1.
A clash of entertainers
PSG have scored an impressive 39 goals during their 10-game winning streak and no visiting team has managed a clean sheet at this venue. Liverpool have scored in all of their European games and have only drawn blanks in two of their away games this season.
Goals at both ends looks likely, while Luis Diaz and Bradley Barcola can each test the keeper a couple of times.
Diaz averages 1.4 attempts per game in this competition and 0.9 per game on target, while Barcola is averaging 2.2 attempts per game in the Champions League and has an accuracy of around 50% overall.
As such, both are clearly capable of at least registering two shots on goal if we are treated to an open affair in the French capital.
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