When the European champions face the Premier League champions at Anfield this evening, they will arrive with a swagger and the self-assurance of serial winners and the belief that it will be Luis Enrique's side that advances to the semi-finals of the Champions League.
You can't blame them. After winning last season's trophy playing a brand of football that is the envy of the continent, they remain on course to complete a Ligue 1 and Champions League double, cementing their current status as the dominant force in European club football.
The Parisians' performance in the quarter-final first leg against Liverpool reaffirmed their standing as clear favourites in this tie, and despite last season's Round of 16 clash eventually being settled on penalties in their favour, they arrive this time with a two-goal advantage, not a one-goal deficit.
Everything points to PSG advancing, but with one crucial caveat. This is Anfield.
Luis Enrique isn't stupid. This week, he has already confessed to experiencing the Kop himself in the past and now he must conquer it once more as a manager. A 0-0 draw would suit him just fine. But if Liverpool can start this match fast and turn it into total chaos, then as we have seen on countless occasions before, a two-goal can be wiped out in an instant.
When it comes to citing previous examples, it is difficult to know where to start. But as it is 10 years to the day since the Reds' unforgettable 4-3 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Europa League quarter-final, that seems as good as anywhere to start.
After the first leg in Germany had finished 1-1, the Reds found themselves two goals down inside 10 minutes after Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang both found the net at the Kop end.
But with motivated partisan supporters backing both teams, all that did was set the framework for an utterly mental second half that is up there with the Anfield all-timers. Divock Origi got Liverpool back in the game with an early goal after the break but Dortmund's two-goal cushion was restored within 10 minutes when Marco Reus brilliantly curled home a third for the visitors.
Most teams would crumble at this point, but Jurgen Klopp had already set about changing the mindset of his players by this point. When Philippe Coutinho scored a second for the Reds in the 66th minute, Anfield was still more in hope than expectation about completing an improbable comeback.
But when Mamadou Sakho bundled home an equaliser with 12 minutes to play, the atmosphere turned white hot. Despite the tie now being level at 4-4 on aggregate, Dortmund would still progress as things stood on the away goals rule. This set up a grandstand finish in a cauldron atmosphere. And a Liverpool team that now believed it could win eventually found a way deep into injury time when centre-back Dejan Lovren headed home a James Milner cross to send the mass congregation wild with delight.
It ended Dortmund's 18-match unbeaten run and showed that under Klopp, anything was possible. It's hard to believe that was 10 years ago, but it is only one example of when Liverpool have turned the tables on their opponents at Anfield against the odds.
In 1991, the Reds overturned a UEFA Cup 2-0 first-leg deficit by beating French side Auxerre 3-0 at Anfield in the second leg, with Mark Walters clinching a dramatic late winner at the Kop end in front of just 23,094 spectators.
In 2002, on one of the most emotional nights in the club's modern history, the Reds were inspired by the unannounced return of manager Gerrard Houllier, who was recovering from a near-fatal heart attack. Liverpool needed a 2-0 victory to advance in the Champions League once more, and amid a sea of scarves and noise, they duly obliged with goals from Jari Litmanen and Emile Heskey either side of half-time.
In 2005, Liverpool needed three second-half goals against Olympiakos to advance from the Champions League group stage. With half a side out, Florent Sinama Pongolle and Neil Mellor got the first two before Steven Gerrard scored one of the most iconic goals of his entire career with time running out, en route to the Reds' historic fifth European Cup.
In 2008, Rafa Benitez's team had already won and lost Champions League finals when they faced Arsenal in the quarterfinal second leg at Anfield (1-1 first leg). The Reds looked to be going out with six minutes to play when Theo Walcott ran the length of the pitch before setting up Emmanuel Adebayor to tap home an equaliser for 2-2 - a result that would put the Gunners through on away goals.
But Liverpool never lost belief and turned the tables completely two minutes later when Gerrard slammed home a penalty before Ryan Babel completed an incredible 4-2 victory on the break in the 90th minute.
And unless you've been living under a rock, how could anyone forget Liverpool's staggering 4-0 victory over Barcelona in 2019, which wiped out the Catalan giants' 3-0 advantage from the first leg of the Champions League semi-final? Jürgen Klopp believed that his side could still win the contest, and there lies the key to Liverpool's chances tonight.
Arne Slot will pick what he thinks is the best starting XI to get the job done, but what is even more important is that he believes that the team he selects can go through. The players must believe they can do it. The staff must believe they can do it and the Liverpool supporters who will be lucky enough to be inside Anfield tonight, who have presided over such a disappointing season, must also believe.
Because without belief, you are just extras in someone else's performance. Jurgen Klopp turned doubters into believers. Despite being Premier League champions, this current Liverpool team has been doubted before every match for months. Now is the time to change that mindset and start to write an unlikely ending to this bizarre season.
If you believe it, you can achieve it together.
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Richard Garnett is a Liverpool-based Sport Content Editor with a decade of experience in the industry. He holds an NCTJ Journalism Diploma and has built a diverse portfolio covering football, golf, Formula One, and travel. Throughout his career, Richard has reported on major sporting events, including the Premier League and the Champions League. His experience also extends to the BMW PGA Championship and three Tranmere Rovers promotion play-off finals. As a Liverpool season ticket holder, Richard offers deep local expertise on Liverpool Football Club and Tranmere Rovers. He is a prominent voice in sports media, hosting the Liverpool ECHO’s dedicated Liverpool FC podcast, Blood Red, and co-hosting Pit Lane Torque, a podcast focused on Formula One. Richard is a strong advocate for the benefits of team sports and uses his platform to champion the positive impact of football and athletic participation. His editorial work combines professional rigor with a commitment to high-quality sports journalism. Whether analysing the latest F1 race or discussing local football developments, he provides detailed and accurate coverage for a wide audience of sports enthusiasts and industry followers.
